The Irish standard., 1913-01-18

was SO happy that he had a burst of
almost juvenile .wildaess Not only
did he go; to the south of France to
play golf. but there are whispers that
he tried his hand at the gaming ia
bles and even played; high. Tho, news
amused and surprised people almost
az much as did the news that an
archbishop had been found. in a music
hall and had gazcd with sublime con-
tent on the danseuses. Then after
months he returned to London, and
he was quite new man, and in more
ways than one. His checks, which
used to be drawn and PALE. were full
and ruddy, his eye was bright, his
step alert and he was handsomer than
ever. His hair had become silver
white it flowed. down almost to his
neck and it gave a singularly beau
tiful expression to the distinguished
face. The eyes, deep brown and large,
which were always striking and win.
ming. looked more striking than ever,
for there had como into them a new
look. Indeed the whole expression of
the face was changed. Freedom from
care from the rage and despair of
every leader who is being stabbed in
the back by his own friends; the free
dom also, to come and 20 in the
House of Commons whenever lie liked.
instead OF being tied to it, as every
man in responsible position is, all
these things gave to the face, to the
eye, and to the manner and to his
speech, quite q new coloring. He
seemed now the detached and indul-
gent philosopher who had outlived the
storms of tempestuous time and
could look with be:1ignity on the rag
ing passions. political and personal,
around him. When he spoke you be-
came conscious of the change in the
man. He spoke in a rather low tone
or voice; he never said a bitter word,
he dealt tenderly even with Lloyd
George. the arch-enemy OF the tories.
AID with this SINGULAR result that his
attacks on the policy o. his oppon-
ents were never more deadly and
more effective. Tor his very calm and
indulgence of spirit lent further
weight to the subtle analysis of his
opponents case, which has always
been his strongest point and again
and again when he sat down, he re-
ceived salvos of delighted applause.
Here was the most effective foil ma
ture could have given to Bonar Law.
Physically. the one man looked the
very embodiment of aristocratic grace
and dignity, mentally he lowered
above not only Bonar Law. but almost
every other man in the House, And
his indulgent and carefully chosen
diction was in strange and delightful
contrast to the raucous shouts of Bit
ter abuse which were characteristic
OF the rough spun Scotch Canadian.
Many tories began to ask themselves
whether they had been right in dis
missing, such a fine gentleman for
such rustic and primordial man as
Bonar Law. Then came the Albert
Hall and the Ashton UNDERLINE
speeches. with their coarse and illit-
crate ineptitude and the feeling
against Bonar Law grew stronger and
the revulsion to Balfour stronger still,
Mr.. Balfour has had nothing to do
With all of this. I doubt if anything
could now induce him to go back to
the iron yoke which suffocated him
for SO many years, but all helps to
discredit the new leader and to make
people long for another change,
Meantime, the revolt instead OF 20.
Ing down, is increasing and it looks
as II the whole battle would have to
be fought out to the bitter end. There
are some tories who will .1eyer sur
render the tariff policy: there are
others now growing, think, to a ma
5ority who will never accept that pol
Icy. I do not see how this issue can
be settled. without the downfall of
either one section or the other, The
effort Is to make the tory party quite
innocucus for the moment. They are
divided into such impotence that they
no longer cause any dismay in the
liberal ranks, except, indeed, that the
liberals are In constant terror of an
other snap division, and men are
called up out Of their beds at night
or dragged from railway carriages on
their way to their distant homes.
whenever the alarm is given. It look.
at the moment as if the liberals had
not only the next three years safe but
also as II, when the next general cleo
ton comes, they would still be able
to defeat their foes. I'D So
Either then Bonar Law and the food
taxes will go altogether. or there is