The San Francisco call., 1906-07-07
TRAGEDY IN
A TRIUMPH
OF POLITICS

LONDON. June 24.-With the retire
ment Of Sir Edward Clarke from Par
lament the House of Commons has lost
one of it's most brilliant orators and
debaters and Mr.. Chamberlain has add
ed another scalp to his collection of
trophies from Conservative free trade
heads.
Only few short months ago when
Sir Edward was returned for the City
of London by an Overwhelming major
ity. he said: Il now enjoy the crown
ing honor of my life, than which 1
can never have anything better; and
can never desire to leave my sons
better or prouder memory than that
their father was trusted as the rep
resentative of the greatest constituency
in the world" But he did not enjoy
that crowning honor long. Before his
election he repeatedly proclaimed his
answering opposition to the taxation
of food in any form. He spoke as
free trader in the House. Mr.. Cham
herlain seemed to be reconciled to his
contumacy. But not long. The Tariff
Reform League declared war upon him.
1t is an open secret that it's attacks
were directed by Mr.. Chamberlain. who
has never forgiven Sir Edward for hav-
ing dared to oppose him at the open
ing of the South African war.
That was one of the most dramatic
scenes ever witnessed in the House.
While the rafters of the chamber were
still ringing with Mr.. Chamberlain s
triumphant periods and magnificent re-
ception Sir Edward, without any
preparation and in the face of over
whelming opposition, crossexamined
the Colonial Secretary in a style as
deadly as he had ever displayed in the
High Court of Justice. He drew him
on from one damning admission TO an
other, while friends and foes looked on
in breathless suspense. When the brief
cross-examination was complete the
great advocate uttered the words which
are now historic. This is more and
more sad," he said. The words may be
applied to the ringing down OF the
curtain on his own political career for
the present at least.
In explaining his reasons for yield
ing to the demands of the City Con-
servative Association that he should
resign, he said II would have stuck
to my guns IL my medical advisers had
not told me 1 was committing suicide
by doing so. But when to the strain or
ordinary political life is added the
harassing circumstances of disagree
ment with ones own political friends
it is as we'll to relinquish position
which becomes a burden too grievous
to be borne"
Sir Edward Clarke has had perhaps
the most romantic career of any of the
great luminaries of the English bar
He started life as a jewelers. assistant
in his fathers shop in King William
street, where he was employed all day
cleaning the silver and looking after
customer now and again. To one of
these customers young Clarke once con-
fided that he hoped to be lawyer
some day. The customer held up his
hands in horror. IL have been a law
yer for twenty years" he said, and
it's starving game" Soon after Ed
ward Clarke started to practice law
chance ordained that he and this for
mer customer should be on opposite
sides in an important case. and Clarke
won. After the verdict the elder man
said to him: Il told you once that you
would starve If you went into the law
But l have changed my mind. You
will make your fortune" The predic
tion has been amply verified
While studying for the bar he made
his living by acting as Parliamentary
reporter for the London Standard.
When he first took his seat in the press
gallery, without any influence, with
only brains, energy, ambition and char
acter, he little anticipated that the day
would come when every seat In the
House would be filed to hear him speak.
When he first entered the chamber as
member for Southwark his chief de-
light in that moment of sensational
success was because his father, aged
so, and his son, aged s, both looked
down upon him from the strangers
gallery
Although one of the greatest of liv-
ing advocates, politics was Sir Ed
wards chief ambition from the first
But he has never sacrificed his conyic-
tions to his ambition. Once before he
resigned his seat in Parliament because
he did not hold the same views as the
majority of his constituents on the
Boer war. He is only 55. He may yet
triumph over those who imagine they
have put a quietus to his career In the
Conservative party as he has triumphed
over the Jingoists.