New-York tribune., 1906-06-16
DEADLY PARALLELS.
A Nesc Form of Biography-Mr.
Chamberlain's Mana Parts.
London, May 26

|
Biography in deadly parallels is something
new in literary art. In journalism 1t has been
common practice both here and in America to
array an opponent against himself and to con-
Wet him OF scandalous inconsistency Mr.
chamberlain having changed his opinions on
nearly all questions of current politics has been
frequently exposed TO destructive parallel quota
tions Until the issue of Mr.. Alexander Maclin-
toshs Honest Biography" this week from the
| presses of Messrs. Holder e. Stoughton he has
escaped long range practice of this Sort with tier
after tier of loaded guns and arsenal stocked
with ammunition behind them. This work is a
startling proof of the perils of public life when
| the recording angel, who sums up careers, is the
friend the enemy. Three or four biographies of
| Mr. Chamberlain had been laboriously compiled,
| and there were many editions of his speeches;
but nobody had thought of making book by
| citing the statesman witness against him.
| self Mr. Macintosh. after giving an impartial
and interesting account of Mr. Chamberlains
| services TO Birmingham, the nation and the en-
pire. dismisses the theory of evolution of politi-
| cal opinions and enmeshes the victim in a COM
plex web of contradictions. The Birmingham
leader Is exhibited alternately as a Little Eng
lander and Imperalst, the irreconcilable
| foe and the fervid apostle of Jngoism and Ex-
| pansion. as the John the Baptist and the Judas
of the Home Rule cause. as the evangel and the
| apOStdte
cation. as the advocate and the renegade of old
| age pensions, labor interests and social REFORM
as a convinced Free Trader and backshding
| Protectionist and Food-Taxer and the merci-
| less critic and the partisan apologist OF the
Lords If anything be proved by the deadly
parallel. Mr.. Chamberlain can be charged Win
boxing the compass on every public question OF
the last half century and not allowed the benefit
of the doubt when the question is raised; Has
he ever had any deep convictions or been reaiiy
In earnest about anything?
II Mr Chamberlain were sensitive respecting
his reputation for consistency, volume like this
| would compel him TO retire from public life.
With these parallel passages accessible in a
| handy volume he could never hope to speak IN
Parliament in the country on any sup1ect
without being Immediately confronted with the
evidence that he was contradicting himself He
would be the most hopeless and desperate OF
haunted men, for. crafty. plausible and elo-
ouent as he might be. there would be at every
turn the ghost OF his former self leer1nS at MIN
and holding him with "gttering eye" Mr.
| chamberlain has had however, so many awk-
| ward encounters with the ghost that he mas
ceased to be perturbed by the visitation. Pos
sibly he has consoled himself with the rehectloh
that inconsistency is the common lot OF states
| men endowed with genius for leadership. Loro
Melbourne a political weathercocK anu
Lord Palmerston trimmer, who adapted
bis convictions to circumstances Mr.. Dsraeli
, | started as a Radical, went over bag and baggage
to the Tories and considered any vagary of polit-
| ical conduct explicable on the simple statement
that "a good deal had happened" Sir Robert
Peel changed his opinions at the risk of breaking
up his party and so also did Mr.. Gladstone
whose career marked an orderly and progressive
evolution from Toryism through Peelism 10
Liberalism. and thence to Radicalism and Home
| Rule Each of these statesmen would nave been
as vulnerable in his day to attack by deadly
/ parallel as Mr. Chamberlain is in his turn. Mr..
Macintosh frankly admits that consistency is
, not an essential virtue in public life; but he
| contends that Mr. Chamberlain is an exception
. | allv hardened offender. Other modern states
men have changed" he remarks. but none so
completely daringly. Some have changed
their parties but Mr. Chamberlain has changed
his principles" Possibly an equally honest
biography" of Mr.. Gladstone. written on similar
. | Iinee bv a thoroughgong Tory. might disclose
| lapses in policies If not in principles. markedly
different as the two great men were in character
With even more confidence can It be added that
in one career as in the other with all the transi-
! tions of opinions and principles there was con-
: tinuity of motive throughout
Whatever may be the logical bearings of biog-
raphy in deadly parallels. 1t cannot be doubted
that inconsistency imparts fascination and inter
est 10 statesmen. Leaders like the present 1rlile
= Minister and his predecessor have their char
S acteristic qualities and brilliant talents: but
, their careers are not dramatic, but normal WIFI
the orderly development of party policies. spec
+ators ALWAYS know how they will act in every
e emergency and are never entertained by start
ling surprises leaps in the dark and TRANSITIONS
S of principles The profoundly interesting leader
f is one like Mr. Chamberlain, who in his time
2 'chas played many parts and cannot easily nn0
h | himself In his alterations of makeup and po-
rtical n1asouerades. This is what renders such
q volume as Mr.. Mackintosh's racy and enter
tanning especially he has brought TO his tasR
an omen mind and the habit of a painstaking IN
vestigator Opening the book at random, the
reader is fascinated by the contrasts or a pril-
;ant career In the third chapter. for example
birmingham is revealed the centre Of Radl-
cal Nonconforrnity in the struggle over the orig
inal Education Act Of 1870 and Mr. ChamoeF-
lain as the most forcible leader of a movement
| for secular schools. Experience had convinced
him that there could be security for religious
freedom except in the complete severance OF re-
T | ,ieious from secular instruction. That opinion
i | anDarently he still holds after the lapse ol
n tbirtv-six years; yet when one drops the booF
S and glances in the morning journal at the de
a | hates In Parliament, he finds Mr.. Chamberlain
: suggesting a compromise by which he hopes t'
z | draw Tories Irish Nationalist and Labor mem
= hers into the same division lobby. on the plausl
= | ble ground that the right of entry for religious
| during school hours be reason