New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-16
A NEW PRIME MINISTER.
Motor Car and Hanson at the Pal
ace-Churcb and State.
London. December 8.


.ro AS Mr.. Lucy has recorded 1t, the phrasing
IS. There are two supreme pleasures IN
ace one Is ideal, the other real The ideal is
NON q man receives the seals OF office from
.hs hands OF his sovereign. The real pleasure
-,es when he hands them back" There
,zro supremely happy men IN England this week,
according to this dictum. and each is a lucky
scotsman. Sir Henry CampbeIl-Bannerman has
~. rlittering ideal In being enrolled among the
pine Ministers OF the Crown decade after the
,s~ildering night when a motion was carried
,o- taking 800 off his salary Secretary OF
s,.+a for War in consequence OF neglect IN
maintaining supply Of cordite, and Mr. Bal
.u,- has the reality in relinquishing office with
&C. barassing responsibilities and anxieties. Ger
.s,nly. II Lord Rosebery could make merry
ssst ever his happy deliverance from an inse-
cure and embarrassing tenure OF office, In which
re was exposed 20 Nationalist intrigue, Radical
,str,Jst and Cabinet disaffection. Mr. Balfour, IN
Ms turn. can also be lighthearted in abandoning
4-o,, sheer WEAKNESS the stronghold Of power,
which has not been carried by direct assault
and In rallytng the Unionist party for g fresh
assence against Irish Home Rule. when his sue
cessor Is committed to it more or less directly
O. Henri, Campbell-Bannerman may lack the
sunertor satisfaction of giving up the greatest
rive IN English public life from a feeling Of
st,e+v. but he has the pleasurable excitement
:. nassfng a goal which is ct the furthest reach
~ noljtical ambition in the British empire. II
!. restful holiday be the happy reality OF an
ova-worked Prime Minister after a protractea
term OF office crowded with war. diplomacy and
-or,tical strife, also the first summons from
.he King TO form q government must be the glo-
-ious ideal to which Fame with jewelled fingers
teckons from the heights in the dreams alike
q. veterans and youngsters IN Westminster
TT is logged tenacity that does it" is the COM
,,onest Judgment passed upon the success of Sir
Henry Campbell Bannerman in obtaining the
Premiership It is sounder conclusion than the
-sw reading OF the line: He also serves who
on,x stands and wafts~ The vigils of patience
s-s seldom rewarded in the storm and stress of
F,eIish poIitics Sir William Harcourt stood
and waited in vain. although he was the best
epbter on the Liberal side after Mr.. Gladstone's
rstirement: and also the most progressive Radi-
esI as IS shown whenever wealthy English
man dies and leaves his executors under obi
carton TO enrich the Treasury with estate eXac-
ttons Lord Spencer was the successor "hom
xr Gladstone would have recommended IL
ousen Victoria had not taken matters into her
=, hands and sent for Lord Rosebery; and by
.,gon,en+ between the Liberal factions-pe
--,r,5 have heen Prime Minister year ago il
A. raIfour had offered his resignation Wnen 1t
ras generally expected; but his health mas no"
called and patient waiting and honorable party
sarvice are without reward Sir henry NaAiiP
bsnRannerman would have been consldereo a
os+ unlikely candidate for the Premiership d
sacsda ago when the Home Rule government
-. 49,, ~, q retty detail of cordite supply;
and he has won the highest dlstnctIon IN Eng
wsb -o,itics. not by dexterity in leadership nor
IaA L-:,-,.-+ achievements in debate. nor by
..-+o-fI ability as a politician, but by Scottish
.o,.xx q, holding on to his rights and In m
ts+i,e that the laborer was worthy Oh ms hire.
4s r-acedent had been of determining force' AO4u
I,osaher, in following Mr.. Gladstones eAalnpie
=, -es,gning the leadership in oppositon- HllsHe
have been regarded as taking the course calc"-
,.+e5 IN hiring about his return IS Prime NH
Ie+er. for Lord Granville and LORD nan 'iils'oii
nod both stood aside 1itular leaders III 1ooV'
and the Grand Old Man had come PACK as 'io
o,11, nossibIe leader Sir Henry CampoeH-Ban-
herman has not only stood and waited Out he
has also held on with logged perhnaclty 10 Wiieal
he considered TO be rightfully his own; ana SO
p. is Prime Minister by virtue Of his Scotush
o-t Possibly he has chung too tenaciously 10
some Of his Gladstonian principles but con
sistepcv Is at least interesting as novelty ateE
. ling bewildering period OF evaslons ana
devices IN the conduct Of the tariff quesuoh
from Downing-st
The marvel is that anything like change Oh
government which has doomed UP so constantly
in political forecasts and public discussion a'
Of overshadowing Importance, can De prousn II
about 50 quietly. Mr.. Balfour. leaving MS
garden gate behind the Treasury. has been
whisked off by motor car to buckingham Palace
where his resignation has been accepted; and
the next morning his Liberal successor, making
q close annroach to the Jefersonian tradition
Of tying a horse in front Of the Capitol on IN
auguration day has called hansom' driven 10
the palace and kept the cabman waiting "hlle
he is talking over matters with the hIhs'
Whether the transition from luxurious motor
car to the lo7yly and unpretenuous cra"IeT Is
emble1natic of the passage of the pomp anu
glory Of Imperialism. with its shilling income
tax and the beating Of TIE big drums ana the
return of democratic simplicity. Little Eng
lander ideals and Cobdenste economy TO the ac-
Commandment of the Scottish bagpipes. it may
be premature to assume; but a new tenant mas
been found for No 10 Downing-st- almost as
easily as a fat in the fashionable quarter is
emitted and re6lIed. The only evidence thaC
something of paramount Importance is gong
on Is fcund in the leader writers Impressive
summaries Of the outgoing administrator OF
VACCINATIONS sanguine or gloomy ACCORDING "
previous condition Of partisanshlp' respecUils
future policies Whether one era mas clo0eu
and another has been opened with the orI'1he
OF motor car and hanson to Buckingham fdlace
cannot be surrnised at least Until the Llperal
Cabinet is announced next week ana the eiec-
ton addresses are read In January pu' aP
parently the last word has not oeeh hearu e.Inei
on the disturbing question of Irish Home Rule
or +bA eouauv controversial matter of Tarin
Reform. Old political issues cannot be packed
I'd and bundled out of the way as expedltlonsiy
IS the Prime Minister'S residence can be cleared
for another occupant But new men are Douho