Evening star., 1901-11-23
Campbell -Bannefman's Friends Dis
concerted at His Activity.
STORY OF Al SELF MADE man
The Exhibition at Glasgow Was a
Financial Success.
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP


LONDON, November 49, 1901.
1t is evident that Lord Rosebery's sugges-
tion of his possible return to active polti-
cal life is as disconcerting to the regular
followers of Sir Henry Campbell-Banner-
mann as it is pleasing to the imperialst
wing of the liberal party. The gentlemen
who hold steadily to their opinions on the
war despite the; jeers of patriotic individ-
uals who shout "pro-Boer'' into their ears
are suspicious that Lord Rosebery wants
to make the liberal party's platform more
popular with the voters They regard this
as an attempt to barter their convictions
for more parliamentary power and they res
oiutely decline to take part in the proceed
ings.
Sir William Harcourt got in the first blow
a few days ago in three-column letter to
the Times, which is summed up by the car
toonist of, the Pail Mall Gazette. Yester-
day Sir Henry Campbell -Bannermann
aWoke to realization that it was "up to
MN to do something, and so he made a
speech which practically said there was no
need for Lord RoSebery to come out of his
lonely furrow," for the liberal party was
IN an excellent condition and needed no out
side help Sir Henrys speech was deliv-
ered at a nominally private dinner, but
somehow neat summary of the speech
finds its way into the papers this morning.
referring to the war, he declared that it
must De prosecuted to successful issue,
about which it would be difficult to find any
dlfterence of opinion, but he also commit
ted himself to the opinion that after the
hostl1t1es independent self-government
uer BRUSH supremacy was the solution of
the difficulty. AS an illustration of what
ne meant, he pointed to Scotland and said
that the people of that country were per-
1ectly pleased to regard themselves part
or the British empire and to share in its
glories while they maintained their own
nationality Scot phmpn adding that
Scotchmen, therefore, could not blame
the Beers for endeavoring to seek what
Scotland had already secured The leader
or the opposition did not enter into details,
but presumably, he does not mean that the
two Boer colonies are to send members to
the British house of commons, and if he
does not mean that, the analogy is difficult
to detect.
Sir Henry to Speak Again.
Next week Sir Henry is to speak at
Plymouth, when he may be tempted to ex-
plain his meaning little more clearly. An
other attempt to forestall Lord Rosebery Is
to be made by the general committee of the
national liberal federation, which at an ear
II date is to meet at Derby and pass a res
olution calling on the government to de-
clare the actual terms upon which they
are prepared to conclude an honorable
peace"
Meanwhile, there seems some reason for
believing that the government and the
military authorities in South Africa have
devised some further plans for fastening
the close of the war. According to the
military correspondent of the Daily News
the new campaign has been planned at
home. Sir Ian Hamilton has taken the
plans away with him on his journey to
South Africa as Lord Kitchener's chief of
staff, and unless Lord Kitchener should de-
cline to be complaisant We shall in all
probability see the new scheme being de-
veloped about New Year day. Sir Ian, by
nf he fam r,,A ~,
juba who are now living.
story of SeIf-Made Man.
1t is so extraordinary an event when a
person of very humble means reaches a
position of high standing in this country
that considerable attention is attracted by
the election of Mr.. William Crooks to the
mayoralty of Poplar borough in the east
end of London. Mr.. Crooks seems to have
true American grit. He was born so poor
and SO low in the social grade that after
the death of his father, when he was nine
years old, in company with his mother and
one brother and three sisters he was sent
to the Workhouse.
Mr.. Crooks has been locally famous for a
long time as a successful labor leader and
his election as borough mayor is said to be
preliminary to his standing for parliament.
The popularity of successful a rise in
the world in England, which. is rather the
rule than the exception with US in Amer
lea, mas attracted numerous reOOrterS to
Mr.. Crooks, anxious for details of his early
life. They will be familiar reading to those
acquainted with the biographies of promi-
nent Americans.
I'VE had been in the workhouse some
months" Mr.. Crooks explained to one of
them, when my mother took her dis
charge, and we went back into the world
again. got job on milk-round after
school hours, but when l was eleven l left
school altogether and went to work at a
blacksmith's, blowing the bellows and
striking with heavy hammer as well as
my strength would allow"
There were no regulations with regard to
child labor in those, days. so the future
mayor of Poplar worked all the hours that
his employer pleased
Arriving home one night after working
until II pm. the boy was too tired almost
to eat, and wanted to crawl into bed with
out the necessary preliminary of washing
THAT was too much for my mother" said
Mr.. Crooks, laughing at the "Reminiscences
"She got up and washed my face for me be-
fore she would let me go to sleep, and I
t1 turned out at the the very next morning to
dead with sleep as l was"
Two Weeks Work in One.
''But on Saturday I found that I had
worked so much overtime during the week
that I had fortnight's pay to draw. It
was only ten shilhngs, but 1 can tell you
1 ran all the way home and laid 1t in INV
mothers lap as proudly as if it were the
Kohi-noor.
when 1 was fourteen and was earning
six shillings week at the smithy my
mother had an opportunity of apprenticing
me as a cooper. and, although the wages
were only two shillings and sixpence a
week, to learn trade went Mother had
a struggle to make both ends meet after
the sacrifice was made" asF
For three years after his apprenticeship
Mr.. Crooks worked at his trade in London.
but in 1876, having been prominent in some
small trade dispute, he lost his employment
and, finding himself marked man. took to
the road and travelled tn search of work to
Burton and Liverpool His luck turned soon
afterward, for, coming back to London. he
obtained work with the very firm of coopers
who had first boycDtted him.
He first entered public life as a library
commissioner for Poplar, being elected to
the position by the vestry, who afterward
chose him as one Of their trustees Election
to the Poplar board OF guardians and as
local member on the London county council
followed within few months Of each other
in 1892. Later he was returned to the local
vestry as member for the northwest ward
of Poplar, in which he resides
Mr.. Crooks life as a labor representative
on the various councils of which he is a
meroher Ia even harder than it wos x,han