The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-21
The Greatest Englishman.

The Greatest Englishman.
Since Colonial Secretary Joseph Cham
berlain landed at Southampton FEW
DAYS ago on his return from his
South African tour, the honors, popular
demonstrations, usually called "ovattons.'
royal appreciation, municipal receptions
he has received plainly indicate that ne IS
the strongest member of the cabinet, the
strongest statesman in England.
Yesterday, this favorite son attended a
remarkably enthusiastic. reception at. the
Guildhall London, where the cream of
the aristocracy and the comm onality
united with the lord mayor and the cor
poration authorities to do him honor and
hear his message of peace from South
Africa, which he declared was loyalty
ready for peaceful union under the British
flag There is no doubt that Mr.. Cham
berlain accomplished much in South
Africa, especially in securing from the
gold bugs of the .Witwatersrand the con-
cession of about a fifth of the expenses Of
the late war. The British government
waited for. his return to transact public
business. 1t would seem that the ex-rad-
ical had so acquired control Of his Tory
conferees that they cannot get along with
out him. Chamberlain is to-day; indeed,
the strongest man in the Tory party. The
premier is a weakling beside. him, and,
if that party is given further control, sas
1t is likely to be if it enacts wise Irish
land and local government legislation and
bungies less in foreign affairs, there is
little doubt that the" premiership awaits
the erstwhile, sosial s;iisil smrocrat who did not
hesitate to ,adYocaAe the making Of the
state 'omniseientsoand omnfpotent to the
Impairment of private rights. in property
and individual freedom. Cham berlain
went far astray from the principles of the
English whig party, the progenitor Of the
present Liberal party, which would carry
the b; country forward in civilization
through the thrift, prudence and energy
Of the individual Inhabitants. Chamber
lain, the radical, advocated, among other
things, the disestablishment and disen-
| dowment Of the Church of England, non
| sectarian public. education, Limitation of
the extension Of empire, abolition of the
game laws. Back in 1885, the Tory press
abused Chamberlain furiously. He con-
Quoted his political disputations, according
| to them, in a blackguardedly manner, and
when he proposed the demolition of Dub
| lin castle and the substitution of a. "gen-
uine Irish administration they talked as
If he ought to be ruled out of human So
ciety.4 =. ~s:.~1. $50, 49,: 3. ~.
Mr.. Chamberlain went over to the tories
because Grand Old Man Gladstone COM
mitted the liberal party to the restoration
of the Irish parliament. Since he took
his seat with the members of the party he
has sedulously abused, Chamberlain found
the seat so comfortable that he put in his
best work and got a footing of influence
from which he cannot be dislodged No
other statesman in England could have
weathered the Jameson raid business and
| entailed upon himself such large responsi-
bility as the bringing on of the Boer war
I without mourning blsterng public oblo-
guy. He went through the whole business
with most debonair manner and comes
AAASSS
with king and country. He is both stoker
and engineer for the governmental, ma
chine. He fell into these functions by
common cabinet consent, and as the time
has arrived when the, conservative party
can decide its fate by the way it faces
and treats the proposed Irish legislation,
i foreign questions, imperial defense1 cdu-
/ catiOn and other o,,t ,,,.t+A..
need to be treated in a broad and liberal
way, there is no doubt that the mature
Chamberlain of to-day has the genius and
experience to deal with them in a way
beneficial to party and country. The lib
eral party is denoralized and in no con
dition to advance English civilization, for
} it is leaderless ard factionized A politi-
principle or general principle. An aggre-
cation Of groups attached to different lead
ers, each advocating a special interes!
antagonizing the others, is not party
even If it bears q great party name. Tn
England the party Of Premier Balfour and
Chamberlain is a real party. The liberia
party, SO called, is collection of antagon
ized groups or factions. The liberals
; indeed, are politically hamstrung The
tories or conservatives can accomplish
something, having a reason for their ex.
istence. A parallel can be found ir
! American politics. The democrats are
just where the liberals are at present ir
England.
/ Shall we be forced to the conclusion