New-York tribune., 1911-12-25
PARLIAMENTARY FIGURES
The Hard Hitter-GraCChuS and
PatriCian-LiberaI Succession.
London, December 0.

served and quiet 0eDater, VINO has sud.
denly had great responsibilities thrust
upon him. Friend and foe alike want
to know whether he IS likely TO rise 10
| the full stature Of statesmanship or
whether he is to remain second rata
! fg,re i'm the seats Of the mighty. Hs
| does not make the mistake Of speaking
! too often, nor can he be charged with
the greater error Of debating great sub.
iects without adequate preparation
Quiet and restrained as he is in manner
he has already adopted "A decisive tons
OF authority, which indicates that hs
knows he is master Of his own side Hi.
power and influence grow with every
fresh opportunity for attacking the gov.
ernment and rallying his followers III.
best speech has been delivered on the
final reading OF the insurance bill
Voluminous notes. leaflets and statistic,
were on one side Of the dispatch box
but he never referred 10 them. In stac.
cato style, with abrupt pithiness and
emphasis, he criticised the hustling tao.
tics Of ministers and explained with
businesslike directness why tho Opposi.
tion could not vote for or against tho
measure and were forced 10 unite in an
appeal for deliberate revision. There
was not a trace OF hesitation; there was
white heat Of indignation, and there
was sustained power in attack.
Mr. Bonar Law has the pawky Scot.
tish wit which Sir Henry Campbell Ban.
herman used TO display when he was
Prime Minister. The House was con.
vulsed with merriment when he referred
to the ten thousand peeresses of the ser.
wants demonstration in Albert Hall and
when he transformed the sentimental
ChancellOr's ambulance wagon into a
motor car careering downhlll with
broken brakes. More mordant was ths
humor Of his comparison Of the financial
side Of the insurance scheme with the
reckless method Of paying big dividends
without reference to the liabilities, which
brings unsound companies into the bank.
ruptcy court and their directors into
prison. Fresh metaphors cannot be in.
vented by political leaders in their ef.
forts to avoid dulness, but ingenious
phrases can be turned and polished. Nj.
Bonar Law offers proof that he is rap
idly acquiring the House of Commons
style when he describes the Chancellor
as one who runs into mould but does
not keep shape, or when he dismisses the
Ill digested insurance bill as one Of the
penalties which the country has 10 pay
for having a government in Office and
not in power. The Unionists have hard
hitter as a leader in place Of the brilliant
debater who was always splitting hairs
over sophistries when his followers
wanted courageous action and down.
right earnestness.
Mr.. Lloyd George, having labored,
schemed and agitated for many months
for the refreshing fruit OF social reform,
wanted some kind of personal triumph
when the bill reached its final stage As
the enthusiasm for his complex measure
had cooled off on his own side, and as
the Prime Minister was certain to wind
up the debate with an abstract appeal to
pure reason, 1t was necessary for the
Chancellor TO plan a diversion for the
entertainment Of his belligerent follow.
ers. This was done by a violent assault
upon the opposition for having misrep-
resented the insurance scheme in bye
elections. With flushed face and voice
vibrating with passion he assailed Lord
Robert Cecil with unrestralned violence
OF defamation, reproached him for sup
pressing truth I'm election leaflets and
sarcastically reminded him that as a
lawyer prosecuting a criminal he would
have been required by the lowest stand.
ard Of professional integrity TO make the
facts plain. The Radicals were delighted
with the exuberance OF their champions
invective. AS his voice rose and his
arms flew out in excited gesture they
shouted from sheer JOY. and he had his
little triumph.
Now the Cecils are fighters also. Lord
Hugh, with the fanaticism Of whir-
ing dervish is the more impassionet
orator; but Lord Robert, with his legal
training and logical subtlety, is the more
formidable adversary. The duel between
the frenzied Welsh Chancellor and the
tall ascetic patrician was witnessed by
excited partisans who cheered and
hooted at them I'm turn. II was one Of
the Gracchi with the breath of Mount
Aventine in his face. denouncng one OF
the most obstinate and resourceful gladi-
ators Of the privileged class and receiv-
ing I'm return contemptuous reproaches,
defiant challenges and angry mensces
If Mr. Forster had opened the debate
with studied moderation and a concilia-
tory spirit. Lord Robert Cecil continued
Il with scornful invective and a red glow
Of righteous indignation The opposi-
ton was eXhilarated by this spectacle OF
fierce antagonism. one phrase, Ger
man shackles on English freedom" was
loudly applauded. and the jeers from the
Radical. Labor and Irish benches were
silenced by outcries Of "Llmehousng!'
The Prime Minister'S face was an in'
teresting study during these excitia
He seemed bored and cyR
'al while the Chancellor was working
upon Radical passions and his followers
were cheering for social reform. he
took no pains TO hide his yawns wnlls
Lord Robert Cecil was white with rage
was not until Mr.. Bonar Law faced MN
i-oss the table that he really Opener
his eyes and began 10 take notes WIN
precision When he answers
he Opposition leader il was with an 81
II detachment. as though his heart "a
..L ~. ..-..-I- 4 t-..... urgent