Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-27


That Is how all Mr.. Balfours opponents
feel toward him. Nobody hits out harder
than he does In debate. but there n never
any personal bitterness, any malicious sting
in his remarks. as there almost always is
In Mr.. Chamberlain Mr.. Balfour Is one
of the kindlest most gentle men alive. His
courtesy and consideration for others are
unfailing. and that is why he Is the most
popular leader of the house of commons in
the hisss ~ of parliament.
In T.. slish society he is extremely popu-
lar and much sought after. Years ago
dowagers used to angle for him for their
daughters. He is decidedly eligible in
the marriage market. being rich as we'll as
distinguished. but he has never married
and nobody expects that he will. Even the
most hopeful dowagers have given him up
as confirmed bachelor.
Mr.. Balfour as an Athlete.
Next to his books Mr.. Balfour finds his
chief pleasures in golfng and cycling. Mr..
Chamberlain has been heard to boast that
he never takes any other exercise than that
of walking up and down stairs. Not so his
chief Mr.. Balfour is one of the best golf
ers In the house OF commons IL not in
Great Britain. He started the annual par
iamentary golf tournament. and always
stands high up in ii. He used to be cap
tain of the oldest and most famous golf
club In the word-the Royal and Ancient
Golf Club of St Andrews-and he is still
the president of the National Cyclists
on the st. Andrews links is fond of re-
marking regretfully that a splendid golf
professional was lost in Mr.. Balfour when
he turned his attention to craftsmanship.
Fondness for Children.
When Mr.. Gladstone was alive members
of the house of commons used to wonder
whether he or Mr.. Balfour was fonder of
petting children. Although political oppo-
nents. they were intimate friends. Both liked
literature better than the rough-and- tumble
of politics, and they were bound together
also by their fondness for children, espec-
tally for Dorothy Drew, Mr. Gladstones
pet grandchild. In earlier years they both
petted Lady Sybil Primrose. Lord Rose
berys daughter whom Mr.. Gladstone
nicknamed the suffrage babe" because
she was born at time when a suffrage bill
was agitating parliament
An English writer who had met Mr.. Bal
four on several OCCASIONS tells with pleasure
of the first meeting. 1t was at a great
conservative demonstration in a Kentish
park in 1887. Mr.. Balfour was the princi-
pal speaker and the writer was then little
boy selling programs for the good of the
cause, is the habit of the sons of Prim-
rose League DANES. Greatly daring, the boy
stopped Mr. Balfour as he was walking
through the park to the platform to make
his speech, and asked him to buy pro-
gram. He took and generously paid
ten times the proper price.
I'm glad to see you helping our cause
the boys head. What are you going to
be when you grow up?
I'D like to be a great man in parlia-
ment like you sir" the youngster replied.
Don't you. exclaimed Mr.. Balfour,
laughing. There's no fun in it, I'd rather
be a boy like you
Some of the organizers or the meeting
came up and told Mr.. Balfour that the
people were waiting to hear him speak, but
he waved them aside.
Cant you see I'm trying to strengthen
the faith of young disciple?" he said.
Then he asked the boy all about his home
life and his schooImates. and gave him
some sound advice school practice:
Don't get into more fights than you can
help. but if you have to fight let the other
boys knock you blind and silly before you
give in. That's the only way to get on and
have a good time.
Ten years afterward. when the boy was
working a London newspaper he had
occasion to call on Mr.. Balfour at his Office
in Downing street.
DO you remember buying program of
me at Southwood in 1882 he asked.
Why, yes" said the statesman, land are
you the boy for whom kept the meeting
waiting? Don't you think now that | was
wise in telling you there was no fun in
politics.
derful memory. Like most absent minded
men, his memory for events is remarkably
acute when they are called to his attention.
A Miracle of Good Temper
Mr.. Balfour's most striking characteristic,
perhaps is his even temper. Nothing seems
to ruffle him. In the old coercion days he
would sit for hours on the treasury bench
of the house of commons with a pleasant
smile on his face while the Irish members
were comparing him unfavorably to Nero
and Herod. and saying that if they saw
him in the company of Ananias and Sap
phira they would consider him to be in TIE
bosom of his family. Other conservative
members would jump up angrily and in
tfrrupt. but the man attacked never show
ed a trace of annoyance.
His friends say that only once has Mr.
Balfour been known to show anger in pub
lie. Some young tories sEowballed Mr.
Gladstone when he visited Dover during
the last wears of his life. Mr.. Balfour had
to address a tory meeting at Dover soon
afterward. and he took occasion to de-
nounce the cowardly outrage i'm unmeas-
ured terms. His language. usually so calm
and philosophical. became torrent of pas
siOnate invective. and before he finished
he had lost control of himself '-i
Il believe he would have wrung the necns
of those young fools If he could" said the
chairman of the meeting afterward
Though Mr.. Balfour has never married,
his whole life and character have been
nodded by woman-his sister. Miss Alice
Balfour. She is an accomplished, high
minded woman. who yields great influence
in English political circles. 1t is said that
Lord Salisbury used often to ask her adj
vice and lean upon her judgment. Proba-
bly, she persuaded him to give her brother
the great chance of his life as chief secre-
tary for Ireland 1t is generally agreed
that she has kept him in political life. con-
quered his natural Incidence and made a
practical. successful statesman out of the
philosopher who wrote two big volumes to
explain that nothing is worth Worrying
or striving for.
What is q DemocracvP