New-York tribune., 1910-12-25
MIR. James LoWther.


mass over for the moment, Mr.. Gully.
.f-erward Niscount Selby. who succeeded
Afr. Peel in the Speakership. He is
dead. 10 the regret of all who knew him,
md can. therefore wait; while Mr.. Low
fhe-. the present Speaker. is very much
indeed alive. and in any account you may
take Of living celebrities stands very
near the front. Not only because he is
Sneaker, but because he is Mr.. Lowther.
To give him his full title, he is the Right
Hon. James William Lowther. 2. c.
magic initials which stand for Privy
rouncillor-and NJ. P.-Member of Par
ran1ent-for the Penrith division of
cumberland since 1856 A Conservative
In his private capacity; of no politics
whatever in his capacity of Speaker; no.
nor was he in his capacity of chairman
of Committee of Ways and Means; and
Deputy Speaker. a post second in i'm
rortance only 10 the Speakership itself
This he held from 1895 to 1905. when he
was chosen Speaker. He had, therefore
ten years training in the business of
rresiding over the House of Commons
And it was because he came brilliantly
well out of this long trial that he was
made Speaker. Had he been a poor or
even moderately good chairman of
WAYS and Means he would never have
been put in this higher place.
You might, nevertheless, describe him
ss q country gentleman: born for sport
and the care of an estate: one Of the
idle rich whom Ministers of The Crown
to-day denounce as many cumberers
Of the ground; an idle" man, in this
case with habit of working ten, twelve,
fourteen hours day Look at that
powerful, we'll set up, athletic figure.
with the head on it OF a man of the
world and q student; and the eyes of q
man who can hold gun straight; brown
haired. blue eyed. brown skinned and
bearded: Z man every inch of him
Beyond doubt he comes easily within
the range of Mr. Lloyd-Georges Lime
house invective. He does not work with
lis hands: he is not IN receipt of an old
age pension; he owns property in Cum
berland: his associates are also of the
idle rich. Worse than that, he is the
eldest son of the Hon. William Lowther,
who is uncle to the present Earl Of Ions
dale. the actual head of the Lowther
family: 10 whom the Speaker is first
cousin = family of many and farreach-
ing distinctions; none perhaps superior
10 that of the Speaker since the Speaker
IS First Conmoner of England, title
of true pride. Here also is heredity, in
which Lord Rosebery, speaking this week
at Manchester declared himself be-
lever: though I do not care about
hereditary legislators: meaning. no
doubt. that he did not care about an
hereditary legislature, having succeeded
after MANY years in inducing the House
of Lords to abolish. So far vote of
that body could abolish. the hereditary
principle as a principle of legislative
right. s--=--7-
The Speakers father was long a
r7iplomatist. then an NJ. P; then in lS!'2
retired 10 private life. He is at this
moment eighty-nine years old; and still
Young A mind of genuine force; con-
1ictjons which he never tampered with;
:. firrnness of nature as of a rock, and,
over ali. that saving grace of humor
which stands between its happy pos
sessor and tragic views of life Now. as
half a century ago, il lights up ms race;
his eyes glow with it, and the softening.
cheering. inspiritinS influence OF 1t de-
scenGs gently upon those about him, and
the radiance Of it fills the room. 1t is so
with the SON OF all qualities it is the
most human and the most rare.
No American visitor can have gone
westward through kensington without
seeing Lowtfler Lodge; one of the few
private residences in London which
stand in their own and ample grounds;
commonly called a Queen Anne house;
of red brick. with gables and steepled
chimneys: a picturesque piece of archi-
lecture which would look at home in
country landscape. and in London seems
a little exotic A delightful house in
side: full of treasures; renowned for its
hospitality Until lately there presided
over both Lowther Lodge and Campsea
Ash. the Lowthers' place in Suffolk, a
mistress who had rare qualities of mind
and character: a hostess of both tact
and authority; an accomplished, origi-
nal. most amiable and kindly woman,
who is dead.
Of such descent and of such a parent
eEe the Speaker of to-day comes right
fully by the gifts which have won him
the respect, the liking, the affection of
the House He is unlike all past and
probably unlike all future Speakers. In
knowledge none ever eXcelled him; i'm
his way OF applying his knowledge to
the matter in hand he is absolutely
unique. When Gambetta was President
Of the French Chamber of Deputies you
saw the use q man of genius could make
of his genius in q place which did not
Seem TO call for genius / draw no COM
Jarison between Gambetta and Mr.
Lowther, and / don't know that genius
Is the word which would be though de-
scriptive Of Mr.. Lowther. All / mean is
HAT each Of the two men brought TO
bear upon duties largely of a routine
kind qualities far removed from the
region of routine.
That sense of humor which. as said
Nr- Lowther possesses is perhaps of not
less use to him as Speaker than those
other traits which might seem more ger
,nane to the office. There are various
wass OF keeping GO gentiemen-weIl,
majority are gentlemen-in order besides
the strict enforcement of the Standing
Orders. The power of taking detached