Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-08-29

house Of commons several members
were seated In the smoking room dis
GUESSING one OF their colleagues lie
was lazy they said; he was utterly
unpractcal he had not the faintest
chance OF arriving at anything great
Don't be so sure said an old mem
Der, who had been listening to their
talk. 1T is tlcklish business to judge
men,"
do you know that we used to say
the very same things about Baliour less
than 20 years ago, and now he IS prime
minister OF Great Britain? In 1885 and
1886 none Of us dreamed that he would
ever become a successful politician, let
alone great statesman
AS president OF the local govern
ment board and secretary for Scotland
he had managed TO miss all his chances
OF doing anything remarkable fie was
clever enough but he simply couldn't
take the trouble to work II seemed TO
be almost too much bother to him TO
live.
He seldom got out OF bed before the
afternoon and often he would not 60 10
his Office for three or four days at a
time. Dispatches boerd him, parlia-
ment was a nuisance and the officials
OF his department tore their hair over
his neglect TO keep appointments and
sign important documents
We'll, this was the man whom Lord
Salisbury appointed chief secretary for
Ireland In lsS4--one Of the stClmlest
periods In the modern history OF that
country. OF course, everybody ragged
and said that Salisbury had appointed
the most unfit man he could have
found IN a days march. simply because
that man happened to be his own
nephew
"The Irish members were delighted.
They thought they had got man OF
straw for their chief opponent. Parnell
alone saw the truth,
Don't deceive yourselves he told
his colleagues Salisbury knows whit
he is doing. There's a great deal more
In Balfour than he has shown us yet,
He will turn out TO be the strongest
chief secretary for generations past.
And so II proved. Faced at last with
an Immensely difficult and important
task Balfour altered his habits COM
petely.
"There was no more lying abed until
noon, no more neglect Of business, no
more scorn for petty details. lie rose
with the lark even after a hard nights
session In the house Of commons and
worked hard all day and every day at
his office.
when he became chief secretary he
knew no more about Irish affairs than
the average man In the street. but in
less than month he surprised the per-
manent officials by his thorough know
edge of every branch Of Irish govern
ment.
"And as he worked and learned his
character and will grew stronger The
lazy yacillating philosopher who
couldn't make up his mind about any
thing, became, In few short weeks,
the stern administrator who teie-
graphed. Don't hesitate to shoot to
the soldiers at Mltchelstown when they
asked how they were TO deal with
riotous mob. You all know how he
has risen since then.
1T is a good lesson to be careful In
your Judgments concluded the old
member.
Strange TO say this man who has
risen to the top OF the ladder In
British politics is no lover OF poll
tics. He Is a politician by family in
fiuence and chance, not by choice.
The nephew Of Lord Salisbury, Ar
thur j. Balfour. was born to the pur-
pie and destined for parliament from
his Elton days. But his tastes are lit
erary and academic, not political and
practcal lie cares more for the hon
ors which have been showered upon
him by all the British universities In
recognition Of his achievements In
philosophy than he does for his po-
litical fame.
Give me my books, my golf clubs
and leisure" he once said 10 a friend,
and | would ask for nothing more
My Ideal IN life is TO read lot, write
a little play plenty Of golf and have
nothing 10 worry about II | could
give up politics and retire tomorrow
without disorganizing things and
neglecting my duty would gladly
do So"
Mr., Balfour has often said this, and
there is no doubt that ne Is sincere.
he Is too much of a philosopher to
be ambitious.
Entering politics more as social
necessity than anything else, he
drifted from one Office TO another I'M
I'll at last he reached a position In
which he had to work hard or, I'm his
view, leopard England's interests by
neglect He worked hard and made
good. As reward he was given still
more important posts, which have
Kept him working busily ever since.
In the strenuous coercion days,
when Mr.. Balfour stood in grave
danger Of assassination he worried
his friends by absolutely refusing to
take any precautions. He would not
even allow himself TO be guarded by
secret service men. though previous
secretary, Lord Frederick Cayendish,
had been murdered in Dublin.
He was constantly Swallowed by de-
tectives, against his orders. and he
used to get great amusement by try
ing 10 shake them off. He did not
hesitate TO travel alone even In the
most disturbed parts of Ireland,
where scores Of men would have been
glad to kill him had they recognized
him as their arch enemy. Bloody
Balfour," whose name was for a while
as detested in Ireland as that of
Cromwell
Balfour's cool courage finally won
the respect OF the Irish and when he
rellnquished control Of Irish affairs
he was as popular as any chief secre-
tary could be under a policy Of coer-
olon. Even the Irish members In the
house OF commons liked him, as they
do today.
"FIe tells US with exquisite polite
ness that we are fools when We meet
him here, and he sends US to jail when
We are in Ireland" the late DR.. Tan
ner NJ. j. for Cork, used to say.
But he has such a charming way
with him that nobody can help liking
him"
That is how all Mr.. Balfour's oppon-
ents feel toward him. Nobody hits
out harder than he does IN debate,
but there is never any personal bitter
ness, any malicious sting in his re-
marks as there almost always Is IN
Mr. Chamberlain's.