New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-14
Anglo-American Memories
Xxx.
ne HENRY FAWcETr-MRs. FAWcETT-MIss FAWcETT-rHREE
49,
tcopyrisat. 1910, by George W. smalleyD

his senses He tried for seven years to
get hlmsef elected to Parliament, sue
oeeding for the first time at Brighton in
-1S6o- A Liberal. of course. and one of
the architects of the Reform Bill Of 1857.
linen ne took up India, the most difficult
Of subjects: complex. multitudinous.
Astounding in political paradoxes, fertile
in problems alien to the Western mind
But nothing daunted him The House
Oh commons is a body which only In rare
paroxysms Of virtue succeeds in inter
esting itself in India But Fawcett ap-
pealed effectively to that recalcitrant
BODY and became known as the Mem
Der for India. There is, however, a diff
ference between Brighton, or Hackney.
for which he presently sat and India.
But he was not content with criticism.
He had positive policy for India and
took a parliamentary view of the war
with Afghanistan, which he opposed;
partly because of bookish dislike of all
war.
It was in Mr. Gladstone's second ad-
ministration that ne was made Post
master General, and to him in his con-
structive mood belongs the credit of es-
tahlishing the parcels post. 1 remem-
Der hearing him talk about it. OF course
it was opposed, as a similar project in
the United States has been opposed, by
the railways In the end the English
railways gave in, for a Enthusiastically
English reason, q business reason. They
railways threw all the work except the
actual carriage on the Postoffice, yet
took 90 per cent of the receipts, leaving
the Postoffice but 40 per cent. 1t is not
unusual for the Postoffice to be done"
II was done when it took over the tele-
graphs at a price calculated on fctl-
tious basis. 1t has staggered under the
burden ever since. The English postal
telegraphs give the best inland tele-
graph service in the world, but interest
and capital eat up the profits. Mr.
Fawcett. as an economist and as Post
master General must have known all
about the telegraphs. but that expert
ence, for which he was in no way respon-
sible. did not prevent him from making q
profiigate bargain with the railways in
the matter Of parcels. He may have con-
soled himself with the thought that he
vas bestowing a great boon on the pub
lie The parcels post is at any rate,
cheap, safe and rapid service. The
public ought to be grateful TO Mr.. FaW-
cett, but proba bly, has forgotten, in this
case as in so many others, who was its
henefactor. Greater memories than
those Of Mr. Fawcett grow dim with
the years. But whoever knew him must
retain a sense of the mans power of
his genial views, Of his kindly though
sometimes overwhelming manner to his
friends and TO all corners, and Of the all
but incredible fortitude with which he
endured his great calamity and lived his
life almost as if there had been no
calamity at all.
His wife was of immense service TO
him. all the more because Of her bent
toward public affairs and her lifelong
readiness TO take part in them. Mrs.
Fawcett is now sixty-three years of age
She makes no secret Of it. The modesty
Of women about the date of their birth
is 70 disappear. I suppose. when they get
their rights: has already disappeared,
perhaps. among those who clamor for
the vote, with other modesties 1t Is
odd that the word I have used above,
rights" no longer serves the purpose of
the women who are at the head Of the
new movement. 1t is a generality, and
they have become specific. They no
longer want rights; they want votes.
There is a daughter also TO this re-
Tlarkable pair Of parents, Miss Philippa
Garrett Fawcett, who many years ago
won the distinction of Senior Wrangler,
beating all the men of her year at Cam
bridge. She has been quoted a thousand
times as an example or a proof Of the
Intellectual equality of women with men.
I am not sure that this was the impress
sion of the time. l happened to see this
Young lady soon after she had become
famous There was q garden party at
Devonshire House, the most beautiful
grounds in London next after those of
Buckingham Palace, and they We're
thronged with guests. Mrs. Fawcett was
among them. Beside her stood a girl like
none other OF that distinguished COM
pany: pale, slight, wasted, as if she had
pa ssed through an eXhausting Illness
on the lawn was a heavy roller. The
lady with whom l was talking looked at
the roller and looked at Miss Fawcett,
and presently said: The girl might have
been passed under the roller" Such
was the price she paid for her Senior
Wranglership. But she recovered, and
is now an efficient assistant in the Edu-
cation Department. Like so many other
WrangIers and Senior Classics. her career
has been d modest one. Success in
great university examination is not nee
eeear iJv a test of fitness for life strug-
Gle perbans for a girl il is better It
should not be u w D