The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-09-09

Earn His Own Living for Marrying
Against His Parents Wish, Turned
Newspaper Writer and Gold Digger
Mourning in England.
I.ordon.-Lord Salisbury died at Hat
field House in the sevcnty-third year
of his age. He was kept alive for
hours by the constant administration
of oxygen, but the ravages Of the dis
ease-Bright's disease-were such that
all methods of scientific stimulation
could not put off the final collapse.
1t is understood that Lord Salisbury
recently expressed a wish to be buried
beside his wife at Hatfield.
The end of the distinguished states
man was a peaceful one, without the
slightest evidence of pain. When death
became imminent the attending physi-
clan summoned the waiting members
of the family, who gathered at the bed
side and bade farewell to the dying
man, who, however, was unconscious
of their presence.
Viscount Cranborne. who now as
sumes the title of Marquis Of Sails
bury, Immediately notified King Ed
ward and Queen Alexandra, the Prince
and Princess of Wales and others. in
Guiding Lord Edward Cecil, the soldier
Son of Lord Salisbury, who Is now in
Egypt, and who was the only child Of
the Marquis absent from the death bed.
Soon messages of coincidence began
coming in, and the little telegraph Office
at Hatfield was swamped with unpre-
cedented business.
Chief of four Cabinets Of the English
Empire. nineteen years Cabinet Mill
lister. fourteen years Foreign Minister,
twelve years Premier Of England. Il
Premier of great strength Of character
and of almost despotic sway: in his
youth an adventurer in the gold fields
of Australia and Journalist in Lon
don, the life of Robert Cecil, Marquis
Of Salisbury and chief Of the great
house of Cecil, ended at the ripe age Of
seventy-three years.
Lord Robert Cecil was the first title
that he bore. for the Fiscount Gran
borne, his older brother. stood as heir
to the title of Marquis of Salisbury and
the great estates Of the house Of Cecil.
including the mansion and grounds at
Hatfield, where Lord Salisbury died.
Lord Robert Cecil found himself fac
ing the necessity Of maintaining posi-
ton as member Of this great household
Oh an exceedingly slender income. He
tried to improve his fortunes in the
Australian gold mines. He made some
money and returned to England. There
despite the protests Of his family he
married Miss Anderson, daughter OF
barriSter. She came to him dowerleSs.
The future Premier was driven to
supporting himself by journalistic
work, and it is true that even when his
years We're young his political and eco
nomic opinions as expressed in leaders
that he wrote for London newspapers.
and which appeared also in the Satur-
day Review brought him into such
prominence that he earned a nominal
tion for Parliament He left no doubt
Of his calibre in anybody's mind on
that successful campaign. He was the
very personifcation of hard fighter.
This was in 1851.
His was no meteoric rise. He fought
fifteen years to gain higher rank than
that of member Of the House of Com
mons. In 1866 he was made Secretary
d.
shortly afterward. while in the midst
of heated debate in Commons he was
interrupted and called to the lobby and
informed Of the death of his brother
Thus he succeeded to the Marquisate
and the wealth and estate and chief
place Of the house Of Cecil. and moved
from the House of Commons to the
Lords.
flo vi;
as Britain's representative. he check
mated so iron-willed a diplomat as Bis
marck in the latter's desire to dismem-
Der Turkey. he returned to England.
and was the logical successor Of Lord
Beaconsfeld as the leader of the Con-
servative party.
Lord Salisbury at single stride
placed himself as premier in the de-
baters of the Lords. His was the ora
tory of repression. usually clear, sue
cinct, Unconditional. But there were
times when the Premier could rise to a
fast and powerful flow of vituperative
rhetoric that was brilliantly figurative
and exceedingly picturesque, aided as
it was by his giant form and clear,
ringing voice.
His first term as Premier was brief
from 1850 10 1SSO-DuC Ill ludC lllue
he proved himself a great leader. and
when the Conservatives returned him
to power in 1887 his tenure Of office
lasted until 1892. Then lie gave way
to Gladstone and followed him in 1895.
The close Of the Eoer War found him
ready to step down from power. This
he regarded as the crowning event Of
bis long career. He intended staying
in power until after the coronation Of
King Edward. but as the coronation
was postponed, he decided to retire at
once.
Lord Salisbury was consistently a
conservative in the matter of home af-
fairs. He was the enemy always OF
home rule, the champion Of policy Of
protection for British industries and
a firm upholder Of gold as the standard
metal. But in foreign affairs he was
aggressive and radical. He was ever
favorable to adding new territory to
the empire In the matter Of the Vene-
zuelan controversy alone did he ever
recede from this aggressive position.
Then he admitted the validity Of the
Monroe doctrine.