The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-11
DBVoNSHIRE THE UNREADY.
A LANGUID STATESMAN'S PART
IN TEE british CRISIS.
Chief Opponent in tho New
Tarin Issue Strangely Unlike Him
A Man Who D0xes and Doxes. and
sun ID Mighty In British Politics.

Tariff Issue Strangely Unlike Him
A Man Who D0zes and Does, and
stun 10 Mighty In British Politics.
In the year 1887 tall. heavy. rugged
young man., having plodded his weary
way through Cambridge University
lounged into the House OF Commons, took
q seat on the Liberal side and yawned.
He remained in that assemblage, bored but
unremitting for the next thirty-four years.
playing a great part in spite OF himself
and then through the accidental circum-
stance Of very old gentlemans death
lounged over into the House Of Lords,
where. az Duke Of Devonshire, he has con-
tinued TO be a leading actor In the British
national drama.
Within the last week Joseph Chamber
lain having preGpitated upon the country
a great political issue, this same statesman
has doomed up out Of the fog, tardy and
protesting against the disturbance OF his
personal comfort, and announced that his
mental processes have at last informed
him that he can no longer consistently
hold place in the Ministry. he being free
trader and the Premier having committed
himself to mir. Chamberlain's protcctionist
programme.
So he drifts again on the current Of cir
cumstancs to the chief place of another
opposition and finds himself confronted
with the man, who. more than twenty years
ago, styled him with nimble sarcasm, the
late leader '-Devonshire the Unready
against Chamberlain the Alert. What a
contrast!
When the present Duke then Marquis
OF Harrington, heir to great name. scion
OF the most powerful OF all the Wing noble
houses. came to Parliament he sat silent
for nearly three years and then was chosen
by reason Of his station to move a vote OF
want of confidence in the Derby Ministry
After that maiden effort he lapsed into a
quiesoenoe that lasted for several years
before he began to emerge from his OBJ
security a. one of the really important men
Of the Liberal party.
When Mr.. Gladstone announced in 1875
that he must have rest and the Liberal
opposition cast about for new chieftain
they sorted out the material and, finding
this one too old and that one too radical
:
the noble Marquis at the bottom OF the heap
and pronounced him safe-not brilliant.
not eager, not commanding, but safe.
So he reused himself, put on the yoke.
occasionally even tapped himself with the
CAD and logged along. Sometimes Mr..
Gladstone used to come into the House
and thunder. and Harrington afterward
said that he found the old leader mighty
rebellious follower.
Anyhow. when the Beaconsfield Ministry
was overthrow in 1880 and the Queen
thought she saw in Hartington's nominal
leadership a pretext for not calling upon
Mr.. Gladstone to form the new Cabinet.
the Marquis soon undeceived her and she
was obliged to recognize the claims Of
the real chief
But she gave In with bad grace. When
Mr.. Gladstone went over to the Isle OF
Wight, In response to her summons, tho
royal carriage was not waiting at the rail-
road station and he walked in a driving
rain to Osborne House.
Harrington slipped back into second
place until the Liberal-Unionist split over
the Home Rule question bore him to the
front, q leader again in name, but hardly
In fact. This time it was Joe Chamberlain
who cast the shadow on his supremacy.
He stayed out Of one Salisbury Cabinet,
then joined the next in the dignifed but
unlaborious post OF Lord President Of the
Council
And through 1t all, despite his personal
limitations, despite his administrative in
capacity, despite his disinc ination to speech
and his shrinking from the detail Of public
business, he was great force. man to be
reckoned with. Where he lacked energy
he was tho symbol Of power, and there
were gravity and honesty and patience
In his character that compcrted with the
holiness Of his birthright and gave IL
solidity, and even momentum.
Any person who studies the history of
British politics for the last twenty-five
years will find himself almost unwittingly
making comparisons between Chamber
lain and Devonshire at every stage OF the
game. Their careers have run side by
side in a contrast that extends even to
their personal habits and appearance
the one always keyed up, the other inert.
AS long as the Marquis OF Harrington
was just plain NJ. P. It was his pract ice
to slide down into his seat wearing his hat
tilted forward to shade his face, one hand
in his trousers pocket, the other supporting
his head, and the afternoon that passed
without his having long, undisguised nap
was az rare as the night of the blue
moon.
By and by. when he moved up to the
Treasury bench as a Minister, he dis
covered one advantage In holding Office
1t gave him a table to put his feet on while
he slept.
His dress was that Of country squire,
loose almost shapeless. careless In the
extreme. His thick light brown hair ran
down into hay-oolored beard, which, as
time wore on. began to show threads and
streaks Of silver,
When he spoke he planted his left fist
firmly on the table, dragged a copiOrls set
Of notes from an inside pocket, doubled up
a handkerchief in his right hand and
ground out what he had to say.
He was glad when the ordeal was over
and the House was very glad, though 1t
was always ready to admit that the matter
was better than the manner. He spoke
sense.
He was invariably late late at the House
late at the Cabinet meeting, late at the
railroad station IL he was making one Of a
travelling party, late at all times and places
where Mr.. Chamberlain. for instance, was
punctual