Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-23
XVIII.
Balfour, Leader of
the Opposition.
By
FREDERIC J. HASKIN

FREDERIC J. HASKIN @|
laMdl60GaMI M0lE lNz5a0 zE6H 5E5E7G MssI
bimetalism. His friends were srievous-
~ disappointed and his uncle was all but
furious.
He continued to do nothin., until 1879,
when ne went to the Berlin congress as
secretary To his uncle, who, with DiSraeli.
represented England There he acquired
a taste for foreign politics, and began
Tor the first time to show promising
signs of a career
When he returned to England he GREAT
ed great stir. and made considerable
name for himself. but not in politics. He
Puoilshed a book entitled Defense of
Phi!osophic Doubt For this he was de-
nounced as an atheist on the one hand
ana iauded as profound philosopher on
the other
But the dawn of his political career was
al hand. He attached himself. with Sir
Real Political Career and Sir John
Is Begun at Last. I na,i,;o., for,, ras
of Lord Randolph Churchill forming the
famous fourth party, which, although it
never had but four members. changed
forever the current of British politics.
Lord Randolph Churchill captained the
many iibusters undertaken by the tiny
party, while Mr. Balfour devoted himself
to foreign affairs.
When the Irish question became vital
MI. Balfour suddenly and without warn
ins assumed the lead and made a ter
rlhc attack on the liberal government. He
was nailed then as man OF rising power,
and three years later his uncle I.oru
SALISBURY. then prime minister, took his
nephew into the cabinet without protest.
lie Tiled several minor places in the
ministry and in 1891 became first lord
OF the treasury ana assumed the leader
snip OF the conservative party in the
commons When Gladstone was return
ed to power in 1852 he became the leader
of the opposition. His party return
ed to power i'm 1898. and seven years later
ne succeeded his uncle as prime minister
and held that position until the liberal
party returned to power.
Since that time he has been the ac-
knowledged head of his party and as
such is now leading the forces opposed
to the coalition of liberals, labor:tes and
Irish nationliSts
AS an administrative officer in the cabi-
net Mr.. Balfour was highly successful.
His great
Highly Successful as est trial
Administration Leader. i ms o ,he
dark days of the South African war.
England was wholly unprepared for the
struggle with the Beers, precipitated by
Erglishmen who relied too much upon
their inherent superiority and paid too
little attention to actual conditions
On the whole. it may be said that Mr..
Bafour came through the ordeal the
only member of the government in
creased in stature and wisdom by the
events Of that humiliating period. Ger
talniy he was most successful when con-
trasted with the inefficient Lord Lans-
downe and the incompetent Lord Miner.
w hen the Boer war was over Lord
Salisbury. heavy with years, retired from
public life and his mantle fell on the
shoulders of his nephew, while the whole
tory party applauded. 1t was another
proof Of the peculiar fitness of the Cecil
family to rule over England.
Not long after Balfour came to the
premiership MIR. Chamberlain revived
the war against free trade by bringing
forward his scheme for tariff reform.
The tariff question had been regarded
as settled for half century and Mr..
Balfour begged the question.
Then came the revolt of Winston
Churchill and the recrudescence of the
liberal party. The conservatives were
overthrow and the liberals came back
into power with an enormous majority.
When the lords forced the dissolution
of parliament last December by ignoring
constitutional
Balfour Forced to precedent and
IN pook -, rejecting the
budget Mr.
Balfour was placed in a peculiar position
Although protesting to be house of
commons man. he was compelled to go
back on the record of his speeches for
thirty years and take up the cudgels in
behalf of the lords. He was forced also
to adopt Mr.. Chamberlain's tariff reform
scheme.
He fought through the ensuing general
election campaign in a mastery fashion,
although 1t was plainly to be seen that
he had no heart for the tariff reform pro-
gram upon which he was forced to base
MS hopes OF success. His speeches in
the campaign are monumental examples
of how not to say it,"
But Mr.. Balfour was nightly in ear
nest in the belief that the ruling classes
in England must be confirmed i'm their
political privileges. He was earnest in
the belief that democracy means ruin,
and that any attempt to disturb the re-
lation between property and government
Is to invite anarchy and chaos. And
because he believed these things the
tories followed him gladly.
Mr.. Balfour is a Celt. He never has
been anything but Scoschman and
Scotchman will he be to the end, but his
Celtic blood tells most in his love for
controversial theology and a good game
of golf
When it comes to politics he is an
Englishman and a Cecil, and he believes
as did his uncle, that it is the peculiar
business of the Cecil family to regulate
the affairs Of the British empire.
TomOrrOw-THE BRITISH CRISIS.
XIX-David Loyd-George.
GEN. J. F. SMITH WILL SPEAK.