New-York tribune., 1901-01-13
JOHN BURNS CANVASSING.
NOTABLE FIGURE IN THE ENGLISH
PARLIAMENTARY CAMPAIGN
Julian Ralph in The London Mail.

Julian Ralph in The London Mail.
hi II is worth ones while to see John Burns among
chair so as to seem bigger and to loom above
He is one of the seven or eight really notable
uguTes IN this electio2, and the most singular one
from the rest in birth speech thought and aims
4 A. night ago went over to his bailiwick to hear
tbs Mt fhdi Burns ag vas to speak in Board school in
early a few persons gathered outside the play
ground wall-mostly in caps and short, dark coats
and thick, light colored trousers.
gether g and squeezed through it with mighty
dried lake of cement into the open basement of
DISTINGUISHING by those who had strong sight, and
where where the boys found some gymnasium ladders
at sunset, Some of us carried portraits of Mr.
WITH eadng al article Paper abop 9qns in B9
tersea b,se We laid these on a bench. ordered the
peared more Comfortable than ourselves and
{hen h one of US said: i shall put Mr. Burns there
tak to US s., in here and to the crowd out Of doors
n,sc1 Mneh NJ Mr t Burns came he was told what fine
terid5 III speak anywhere but there" said the Bat
the 41 open air at the other end of the yard
shoots into into rdssd ths as an % b tg
strength and rush and the same suction in the
I'm your Union Jack >. he seemed to say in
johnny m and Unon a and
nothing TO fear and nothing to worry about SO
only Of he aGd
h WAS put of on the @ bench With the portraits
open; and shot across the cement, sucking several
hundreds of us after him fast that l, for one,
only touched toe to the earth once in every ten
While he stands down on a level with his people
we study him; man of woman's height and mans
build short broad shoulddred, bread ,GIhested'
cept his black bowler and stubby black boots. He
the moment you hear that he was formerly an en-
gnee& my see that he is h PGq al engaeer @ ,D
jaws, the same careessly worn blue suit, the same
motive CABS dartins aII over II EngIaHd Canada,
America, Australia and South Africa this morning.
Not BIT he SAYS looking at the hard hard !. used ID
that Ite Bag He haa a Napoleons Way Of stand
ing with his chin down. partly pondering' parity
But that is hashlight pose for he is the
slave of his nerves and has hrdlike restlessness
Turns quick as light at every sound around @ him
girls who were so nearly quiet that no one else
and throws eS e his head begin e his
IL us Is head among ten thousand with dd hlgd'
hammer like bulge behind; big storage battery
brows are dark. all the rest is grizzled OF, white
white Whiskers, beard growing whittier and winter
salted the sides. Age? Fifty-fve 10 sixty at a
years younger than he looks How does ne live?
on on no salary with calling at which money can;
with wife and child al home-how do men like
that make both ends meet in public life in Eng
-. ,I,n tell you how live" he says in his speech.
among 4 me WORKING men Of Battersea; and this is
because they like my siraightness and honesty
a week He likes to talk about ''1iIHa himself, +,
Himself ana his Pnons Tny nyte OF ha nS
with him he will want to get out quickly. Let him
stay where he Is close to the door what does
that man say? God bless Cecil Rhodes, Leave
that he'll wish he had not spoken - NOT io' MN
,dtft, ag Is not ] so much immodest as nOn-modesta
way into the heart OF things around him Speaks
six months ago YOU we're restive when I de-
nopnced this uni war in Africa. Now you listen
YOU my views on that subject and nv view is
greatest best and from moral Point Of vieS the
IiTd cGTTageous ac5 OF any statesman who ever
war? Well. plenty Of men find It easy to defend a
Ta %ar & when some one else does the hghting Those
His head is held weu back in speaking his chin
1s 9ys thet hat when M ne was an apprentice he put IN
~ % cne bd TtveLng But you see nothing LETT
now that he is posed as an eagle commanding the
piercing eyes That vas vaSbe eNneIe5as wnea his
Tor ms ne SAYS for by learning to rivet learned
10 drive truths straight, 10 send them home and
to clinch them on the inside
disagree with him You feel tbnt n.n b eo%ever 2 yGH
blooded. pure bred, healthy man. and high type
cannot doubt his earnestness nor his Honesty. He
@ @ @qHof9 G2 tboT BbF0WP3g & when IT serves him and he
OF OF hifnseh only as a labor leader" and labor.
work poverty, the raising OF the masses are his
only themes He Is usually consistent in his arsl-
ments, because he clinEs to his narrow track iIst
as s, his engine would i he were driver. His only
ANS ANS are to get better wages: better homes for
FOR The public money: He opposes the war and I'm
peri3lsm because what these cost would do more
gocd. he says. IN razng slums and building cheap
n1oIneS ne opposes the aims of the rich with sim
lIar arguments. holding that they live al the ex-
pense OF the poor. The death duties are misused .
helm the poor" " w." ~
This is the impression made by one speech and
ouShly EnEHsh at heart a rovOlutionist by ballot
ana az not bullet good balance wheel for thousands
O. less soDer and less reasonable followers TT
would be thought 4 disgrace all over the world =
he says, In his frankly sef-approy,ing way FOR
John Burns to be beaten by a brewer