The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-24

mother. the late Lady Westminster, short
~ afterward abandoned Gladstone's cause,
and from that time all the weight OF her
great influence In Dorsetsh,re was thrown
on the sidc Of the Conservatives. The at
tacks on the Irish church and tho various
reforming measures Of the ministry had
alarmed her. She unconsciously echoed
tho sentiments Of Joseph III. of Austria,
and considered that In the long run the
business OF great noble and land owner
was to be a great noble and land owner.
Aid to Gladstone.
Her son. however. thought 1t was pos
sible to combine this part with that OF an
ardent supporter of ministry which pro-
posed to very considerably abbreviate the
power and Importance OF the great mobiles
and land owners. The value, not only act
ual but also moral. of such support as that
which Lord Westminster could give was
very sens.bly felt by Gladstone, and one
of the last acts OF that statesman's pre-
miership was his recommendation to the
crown that Lord Westminster should be
made a duke. Almost with my dying
BREATH" as he wrote to his distinguished
adherent in 1874.
The duke was keen partisan where his
interests were really aroused The cry
that the church was In danger evoked the
assistance Of his speech. his pen and his
purse. The means OF oppressed foreign
nationalitles always aroused him-perhaps
on occasions too easily. He championed
the Bulgarians. He was one of the keen
est supporters Of the Armenians. He was
president Of the Cretan distress fund COM
mittee The aborigines' protection move
ment met with his strong sympathy and
support.
He was liberal patron Of the art Of the
present day. At Eaton there Is an extern
sive collection Of modern pictures, includ-
ing several by the late Sir John Millais.
One of the rooms Is adorned with q series
of long billed birds by Marks, and the CEN
trail hall is lined with huge frescoes Of
1.-THE Canterbury Pilgrims" by the same
artist.
Master Of the Horse.
The duke was Gladstone's master Of the
horse during the ministry of 1S80-85. but the
events OF 1885 in connection with his lead
er's change Of front on the question Of
home rule sent the follower over to the
Unionist camp under the banner Of Lord
Harrington. He felt so deeply on this
question that he not only broke away from
Gladstone's leadership, but he renounced
his friendship and would have no social
communion with those whom he consid-
cred we're playing with treason.
This alienation lasted until the summer
Of 1884, when Gladstone had retired from
the ministry and practically ended his po-
litical career. A reconciliation then took
place between the two former friends, so
long parted, and they were able to work
once more together and to meet on the
same platform in connection with the
Armenian movement. The perfect seal
was set to this reunion by the presence Of
Mr.. and Mrs Gladstone at the wedding of
the dukes daughter to Prince Adolphus Of
Teck In December of that year.
The value Of the dukes accession to the
Unionist cause naturally marked him out
for honors at the hands of the Unonist
government and his pre-eminence among
the London landlords suggested the re-
ward. In 1888, when the municipal county
of London was brought into existence by
Ritchie's act, the Duke Of Westminster
was named first lord lieutenant of the
metropolitan county.
HIS Democratic Ways.
In discussing the democratic ways of the
duke. Englishmen relate the story of a
stranger who desired to see the art treas
ures of Eaton Hall. He met an elderly
man walking about the grounds. and from
his dress. which was semi-hunting CO.'S
tune and not too new. thought the man to
be a retainer of the duke. The stranger
asked the man to show him about the
place. which the person did. pointing out,
explaining and calculating with great pa
tience. The guide listened to the visitors
comments on the duke and the family
with interest and received with thanks a
nan sovereign 10 TeQuit0 MIN tOr his
trouble The following day the visitor
rode out to the hunt and In the master Of
the hounds, who was also lord lieutenant
of the county and Duke of Westminster,
he recognized his guide OF the day before.
1t is explained by the enthusiastic fellow
countrymen of the duke that the reason
the great man did not decline the tip
given him by the visitor was his fear of
disconcerting the stranger. 1t would have
been SO utterly out of character for an
English servant to decline money that the
peer would have been obliged to explain
his refusal.
The duke has been married twice, the
first time in 1852. His wife was Lady Con-
stance Gertrude Leweson Cover, daughter
of the second Duke of Sutherland. They
had eleven children. of whom six are now
living. The first duchess died in 1880, and
in 1883 the duke married Katherine Caro-
line Cavendish, daughter of Lord Che
shire The heir of the dukes vast wealth
is his grandson. Viscount Belgrave, now
In South Africa. an aide-de-camp of Sir
Alfred Miner. the governor of Cape Col
ony.