The Wichita daily eagle., 1903-08-30

| Ottoman Empire in Asia Minor ana gave
England in return the acquisition Of Cy-
prus. The Berlin treaty was hailed with
great satisfaction in England, and on theic
| return to London Lords Beaconsfield and
Salisbury were greeted with enthusiastic
| demonstrations. But Mr. Gladstone had
come forth from his retirement, ana the
/ fervor of his campaign carried all before
| it. At the general election Of 1880 the con-
servatives were ousted from power and
| for five years Lord Salisbury was in the
cool shade Of opposition.
From the moment of Lord Beacons-
fields death in 1881, the conservative
| party was really under the sway of Lord
| Salisbury until 1902 period of twenty
/ one years, during which inperceptibiy and
without an effort he gained ever increas'
/ ing influence over its members. In the
House of Lords he became absolute, oc-
| casional revolts of malcontents serving
only to emphasize his unique mastery of
the upper chamber. In t;,e House Of Com
mons the only leader Wftc tried fall with
the leader of the party was Lord Ran
dolph Churchill-and with disastrous re-
suits to his own political career.
rected the affairs of the British Empire
for nearly fourteen years in his three ad-
ministra tons. Mr.. Gladstone alone. with
his four Partnerships. lasting II years and
137 days, rivalling this record of British
Premiers since the great Reform bill OF
| 1892
Such record is a strange commentary
upon the Parliamentary writer and keen
observer of Parliamentary figures who in
1873 looked upon Lord Salisbury as "a
hopeless statesman, a leader of a lost
cause. waiting for phantom or foundered
vessels. the conservative reaction"
more prescient estimate was taken by
Mr. Justin Mccarthy, who wrote: IF in
our times toryism ever should become a
principle which man of genius and high
character could fairly fight for it has
leader ready to its hand in the Marquis OF
Salisbury
The duration of the Salisbury admins
trations was as follows:
First-June "a, 1885 to February s. 1886.
227 days.
Second-August 8. 1886 to August 49, 1892,
six years and fifteen days.
Third-July 2. 1895, to July IL, 1902, seven
years and nine days.
The first Salisbury ministry was merely
of stop-gap character, and as was gen
orally expected Mr. Gladstone was re-
turned to power in the autumn of 1885 by
the newly enfranchised voters, who more
than made good his losses in the towns.
But it was seen that he was dependent on
the Parnellite phalanx, some seventy
members strong. for continuance in office
Mr. Gladstone cast the die and determined
to stake the fortunes of the liberal party
on home rule for Ireland. Lord Salisbury
awaited the meeting of Parliament, ac-
cepted defeat on a minor issue, and began
an active campaign in Parliament and the
country, in conjunction with his liberal
unionist allies, against the scheme which
was formulated by Mr. Gladstone.
The first home rule bill met with sum-
mary rejection in the House of Commons.
and when its author put the issue directly
TO the electorate received an even more
decided negative. Lord Salisbury had
solid following of 316 members in the
House of Commons, and the body of sew
enty-seven liberal unionists acting with
him gave him a majority Of lie in house
of $40 members. The only question was:
Would the two wings of the unionists hold
together? Political prophets held it to be
impossible. Lord Salisbury magnanimous-
ly offered to serve under the Marquis of
Harrington. afterward the Duke of Devon
shire. the head of the liberal unionists.
but the liberal unionists preferred to give
an independent support TO the administra-
ton, feeling that the time was not fully
ripe for a formal coalition such as was
afterward effected in 1895.
In domestic political matters Lord Sal
isbury took little personal part. his atten-
ton being engrossed by the Foreign Office.
Mr.. Parnelrs death after the split in the
home rule party on the question Of his
leadership freed the liberal party from
some embarrassment and enabled Mr.
Gladstone with some confidence to chal-
lenge the previous verdict of the country.
Home rule was again put at the head of
long liberal programme. Such was the
personal influence of Mr.. Gladstone and
to general the desire TO give him another
opportunity of formulating in a practical
way a scheme for Irish home rule that
when Lord Salisbury dissolved Parliament
at the end OF June 1892. the general cleo
ton that followed carried Mr.. Gladstone
again into office.
His majority, however. was only 40. and
insufficient TO deter the House of Lords
from summarily rejecting any home rule
bill that might issue from the Commons
A whole session was consumed in the
passage through the lower house of Mr..
Gladstone's second proposal The bill was
brought up for second reading in the
Lords on September 5. Lord Salisbury
asked for the throwing out of the bill and
he was supported by 419 peers against A.
He had argued that the upper house was
fulfilling its proper constitutional function
in insisting on referring to the electorate
the bill which would radically alter the
relations Of Great Britain and Ireland
The challenge was not this time taken
his pledge. and weighed down by the bur
den of years, withdrew few months
later from the Premiership in favor Of
Lord Roseberry.
The liberal party was now shattered into
fragments and the threatened attack upon
the House of Lords proved a futile men
ace. The unionist party went confidently
10 the polls in 1895. but its success was
beyond all expectation. Lord Salisbury
was once more reinstated as Prime Min
lister. He began his third administration
with the enormous majority OF 152 the
largest given to any minister since 1892.
Circumstances in 1895 undoubtedly IA
vored Lord Salisbury in his poSitfon at