The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-25
LLOYD-GEORGE AND
HIS AWAKENING


/ suddenly felt himself stripped OF all con-
hdence in his religious instruction. The
catechism, the Anglican services TO
which he was forced TO go, the theology
Of his pastors and masters-aH. indeed.
/ That these servants Of organized Chris
tianity had to tell him OF God and the
| ualverse-seemed 10 ring falsely in his
soul IL was not that he stood up tri-
umphantly superior 10 a false instruc-
/ uon' not that, like Turg0t, he could cry
win contempt, Il fling away this mask"
10 ne was conscious of desolation,
He was visited by an anguish Of bereave-
/ hleht which even to the bov seemed in
/ toierable. His suffering was acute and
agonizing. And for five years il endured.
/ Tie was conscious of isolation in the
/ universe He felt himself 10 be boat
/ ueIehct on vide sea of darkness and
night Ihere was nothing that he could
/ comprehend. AS he puts H. 81 came
/ up against blank wall
/ At the age Of sixteen that darkness lift
| ed Among the books Of his dead father
lie discovered Thomas Carlvle's "Sartor
! Resartus' Many great men Of ouy times
4 have been helped by this everlasting Yea
/ The desolate youth in the Welsh village
| read this book, and as he did so the
/ darkness which enshrouded his soul he
gan to lift. Illumination came az last II
was that sentence which saws of dog
mas that they are 10 be torn up 10 make
bandageS for The bleeding wounds OF hu-
/ manity that brought the fun light
! With a great rush OF relief the youth
realized the truth OF Goethe's saving
that the everlasting question was not
what man believed. but how much he
( believed. He felt himself unclaimed.
brought into the light and given the air
OF the mountains 10 breathe deep into
his lungs. At last he had discovered re-
I ligion, 1t was service 10 humanity.
/ Christ is the minister and the servant Of
man. Henceforth ne had "A purpose in
/ his mind, faith in his soul. and a Cod
TO serve, heaven 10 strive for.
Not for many years did the thought OF
a political life enter his mind. He was
/ bright and clever 4 clergyman Of the
village school had made every possible
/ concession TO his non-Conformity 10 per-
suade him 10 become "A public teacher
But THIS he could not do. His uncle had
/ determined 10 make him a solicitor and
with pathetic sacrifice contrIved 70 fulfill
]
/ lie was tWenty-One wears OF age
/ when an event occurred which gave
/ new Impulse 10 his character ana sf-
/ fected his whole after life. An old
/ man died IN the neighborhood who ex-
/ pressed the desire on his deathbed 10
/ be buried beside his dead daughter. The
clergyman agreed; the grave was dug.
| Out when II was known that a non-Con-
! tormist service was TO be read over the
I poor dead clay. the clergyman refused
/ 10 sanction IL. The family came 10
/ LloVd-George FOR advice His advice
I was not guided By the law books but
I by the honest passion OF a noble in
I dlgnation. He told the people 10 break
/ down the church gates. 10 carry the
| dead body 10 the grave. and 10 hold
! their service against all the interfer-
/ ence Of clericalism. This led 10 an ac-
ton IN court Of law. and 10 some
/ thing else. II led Lloyd-Georse to the
/ PLATFORM The world discovered him
as an orator.
From the platform ne passed into
| arliament, and from Parliament he
| has passed with increasing honor 10
| administrative functions Of the highest
Importance in the state.
1 m
/ that he was the most successful presi-
dent the national board Of trade ever
had. and in all the tempest and fury
/ aroused by the budget Of last year IT
was universally conceded thar he had
/ proved a far-seeing chancellor.
Speaking Of his first advent 10 London
! SIT Lioyd-6eorge said. The first thing
that struck me was the terrible ugiiness
and the miserable monotony OF the black.
/ crowded houses occupied by the poor. In
| Wales the houses had been small and
| mean enough. but there was some ole
| ment OF the picturesque in most OF them
/ and AZ any rate they had the environment.
/ Of beautiful scenery The houses Of LON
I don seemed TO me rightfullv and cruelty
/ hideous. They depressed me terrib1v
/ Ihey gave me a sensation akin 10 nau.
! sea a feeling Of despair. Strangely
/ enough / discovered from a conversation
/ with Mr. Balfour that this was exactly
/ me effect produced upon his mind by his
! hrst visit 20 Manchester.
one has 10 come fresh 10 a big city
! 10 realize how cOmmercialism NAV de-
/ grade the natural instincts OF humanity.
/ But how any man OF sensibiIity can see
/ MiSllUE
/ 10 alter the condition of things which has
/ produced them. cannot imagine LIE
/ never can have necn meant 90 be 50 vile
! and disgusting. We lave blundered. but
/ We need not go on laundering forever
! The sight OF the slums ought 10 make
! radicals or all refined minds and gentle
/ souls. Even in my young DAYS the ugly
! houses or London made me long earnest
/ ~ to do something for humanity We
/ must do something. We can do some
/ thing
I think that the present condition Of
/ things in England is serious. but not vet
/ critical. for civilization and the social
! order on the continent the position is
! far worse. With Us in England there is
! Vet time. plenty Of it, If We go steadily
/ ahead for the community to come to an
understanding and make terms with
/ democracy.
But the community must realize that
! democracy to-day not only is enlightened
and deep thinking, but terribly in earnest.
/ 1t means that life shall be less ugly. less
! hard. and less hopeless. II has no use
/ for pautudes II has no taste 10 be de-
/ ceived. IL has learned some OF the fund
/ amental truths OF political economy and
/ II has discovered the immense power of
/ organization. II means that life shall he
! better II the community persists in
/ tghting against this rightfu and health
ful spirit OF evolution, or II they attempt
/ 70 misle5i il with such dangerous ideas
/ as tariff reform. then | say 7 am Is GER
/ tain as ! am of my own existence that
/ you VIII have socialism in England and
! an end to- common sense in politics for a
! generation.
! Let democracy feel that liberalism
! tries honestly to make life better and
/ that the social order will endure and will