The age-herald., 1900-03-12
STIRRING TIMES
 IN GREAT BRITAIN Queens Visit is Still Subject of
 Much Interest. SOME TALK OF POLITICS The Public, However, Does Not Yet Believe That the Great Demon stration Was Part otaPo-
 litical Scheme
 
SOME TALK OF POLITICS

London March 11.-A week. that opened with the budget increasing the burden of the English tax payers to an almost un- preeedented extent, ended with the queen stirring hundreds and Thousands of her subjects to enthusiastic demonstrations of patriotism and war fervor can scarcely be said to be barren of interesting circum- stances.
 It would, perhaps, be giving Lord Salis- bury and his cabinet too much credit to say that the sudden sp:inging of the budget with his enormous deficit and the quickly planned visit of the queen to London ai- most before the people had time to realize how much the war was costing them, were part and parcel of a masterly under standing of politics, which under the cloak of academic lethargy is keenly alive TO every chance of the moment. But what ever were the motives promoting the gov ernment's actions-and the unique moves without consolidating Lord Salisbury-they resulted most favoraby.
 No susoicion of political reconciliation has marred the lneartiness of the queens uelcom, though the Irish have not proved so ingenious on commenting upon her pro- posed V1SlI 10 JlleIl SHOhNS' NSA-'
 whole. the recent actions of the queen, her decision to remain home instead or gong flo Italy. her projected trip to the Emerald Isle and her generous recognition or the gallaptry of the Irish troops, combined with the victorious progress of Lord Rob- erts have once more put the United King dom on excellent terms with itself. This weeks cartoon in Punch by Sir John Ten nell aptly illustrates the feeling. It is an il-drawn lion with an uplifted paw like lump of putty coming out of cave with fierce teeth barred and eyes lowering in the direction of an animal which, resembling nothing more than the human donkey or the American stage, is labelled "continenta press,'' and is sinking off with slouchy gait before the pugnacity of the lions LOOK.
 "Who Said cad"
 But no amount of poor drawing can kill the strength of the caption of this curious picture: "Who said dead?' And that voices the spirit of the nation today better than could columns of analyatical review. Witn the prospect of more serious over lures for peace than those already made | this week by the Boers it is likely the feel ing illustrated by Punch will increase and that a nOTIndl COVCh1tlOH Ol and might will sGnoIely be thoroughly re- established in Great Britain, in spite of the terrible shaking-up that occurred be- fcre Lord Roberts took the helm.
 In the opinion of those best informed as ito give opinion, the Boers are likely to make series of propositions for peace, none of which will be feasible for British consideration until the British troops prac- tically overrun the Transvaal territory, and only one card remains in the republics hand. s'-s .--
 Thus, while the recent and future nego- tia tions are and will be welcomed as most satisfactory signs of British military prog ress, they are not considered to indicate that the end of the war is in sight. As an instance of this, Lord Salisourys recep- tion of the long cablegrams from President Kruger on the subject of the terms did not delay for an instant the prepara tions for sending out large British reinforce ments and supplies either from England or from far-off Australia. However, the prophet of pessimism and change is not stilled entirely This week has produced several articles in widely read mediums in regard to the obligatory retirement of Lord Salisbury from the scene of active politics. and in the face of these official oft-repeated rumors representative of the | Associated Press has made inquiries and received this statement of the one who perhaps is closer to the premier than any one else in England.
 Lord Salisbury's Health
 "rhese rumors of Lord SaIfsbury's poor health, the breaking down of his intellect under personal bereavmenf and his inability to concentrate his energies are pure inven- tions. He is in perfect health, never worked harder and enters into every situation with a keen appreciation of the slightest detail Personally, l would be glad if Lord SaMs- bury exhibited more fervor and vim in his speeches in the house of lords, but I am happy to know that what the world believes to be the lethargy and perhaps even the stohd stupidity of our premier is entirely | due to his belief that the country Is suffi- | ciently excited and stirred up without his | adding directly or indirectly any further to | the fire."
 The introduction of the budget has pro- | duced a curious state of affairs the chan l celor of the exchequer Sir Michael Hicks Beach, becoming the butt of his own party I press and the subject of the opposftion's S l encomium. This is greatly due to the fact that he followed the lines of MT. Glad stone's exchequer policy, relying upon rais- ing existing taxes rather than the introduc- tion of new duties with which to meet the neu continpencv