The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-01-15
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN.
How His Career Illustrates the Moral

How His Career Illustrates the Mora
Government of the World.
About 1880 Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain
was emerging from Birmingham munic-
| ipal politics. making his appearance in
| the larger imperial arena, caucus in
hand, and calling on the rich to pay
ransom to the poor. l was naturally
curious about his personality, and |
wrote to friend in England to ask
what kind Of a man he was. My friend
| consulted high authority, who told
him, among other things, that Cham
berlain was the first politician of the
American type that they had had in
England, and would give a great deal of
trouble"
l have been deeply impressed ever
since with the acuteness of this obser-
walton. What this gentleman meant by
the American type was undoubtedly
the kind of man who considers public
questions with his ear to the ground,
makes up his mind about them with
strict reference to the next election, and
changes that mind as he would change
clothes. according to the season. 1t was
evident almost from the first year of
Chamberlain political career that he
was ION the Make as we say in Amer
ica-not, of course, for money since he
did not need that but inirespect to his
personal political fortune. He at once
took up the Irish business, which then
seemed the most promising one. Home
rule had not yet made its appearance,
but the Irish under Parnell were threat
ening trouble. So they, as well as the
poor became in Chamberlain's eyes the
most wronged of mankind. 1t was then
that he made that famous POLAND
speech" which bothered him so much
afterwards, in which he compared the
lot of the unhappy Irish to chat of the
Poles, ground down by Russian tyran-
ny He cast in his lot thoroughly with
the Irish, as well as with the poor 1T
was current gossip in Liberal circles
at that time that he wanted to be Irish
secretary, and that it was the bestowal
of the place on Lord Frederic Caven-
dish which implanted in Mr.. Chamber
lain that dislike of Mr.. Gladstone which
burned brightly in him long before
home rule, and satisfied him that this
bad old man was not man for him to
tie to- Mr.. Chamberlain. however,
soon showed himself to be too adroit a
politician and too powerful a debater to
be ignored, and Gladstone had to give
him something equally as good" This
was the presidency Of the board of
trade. I remember reading a speech of
his at that period respecting the failure
of a shipping bill introduced by him,
which failure he ascribed to the then
wicked Lord Salisbury. / read one
LATER after he had Joined, the Conserva-
tives, in which he ascribed it 20 the
1oubly wicked Mr.. Gladstone. I dare
say there exists some means of recon-
Cling the two statements, but 1t is not
within my reach.
Every one remembers how home rule
carried Mr.. Chamberlain over to the
I was in the House of
Commons the night he made his final
speech about this atrocious attempt to
ear to pieces his beloved empire His
showing how much 1t all |
cost him internally had falsetto note, |
which, I observed, excited the smiles of
NY neighbors in the speakers gallery. |
But he was now at the goal of his striv- |
ng. He was in the best society of |
oHSlduu, anu udu lOIlBGI any uedl-
ngs with the wicked old Gladstone or
he low Irish, and when the Conserva-
ives should come in he was sure of .
omething. He got the colonial secre-
aryship.
[. am recalling these events, not so
much for the purpose of discrediting
ar. Chamberlain as Tor that OF iilustra-
ing the moral government of the world.
Who will say now that Providence has
ot in this way, dark and mysterious
hough it be, avenged the famous
wrongs of Ireland?" Could there be
more grateful topic of conversation,
ven among the chiefs and ladies bright
I "the Halls of Tara" than the man
er in which the great anti-home-rule
olonial secretary had been "euchred"
y a Dutch farmer into a bloody war,
,r which he was not prepared, and in
'hich the one neglected estate"
hich he had undertaken to "culti-
ate" proved to be nest of ten-pound
ornets? Verilya the mills of God grind
owly, but they grind exceedingly