New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-26
MIR. Bonar Law
SOMETHING HIS PERSONAL AND PARTY
London, January 10.
Copyright, 1913, by G. W. Smalley)

an end. Food taxes are not to be an
issue in the next election. and M.
Bonar Law remains leader Of the
Unionist party in the House of Com
mons. The party has imposed its own
wishes on it's leader and everybody is
hope of split among their opponents
is disappointed. 1t is, therefore, worth
while to look at the personal side OF
the question.
Mr.. Bonar Law has received from all
sections Of his party. and from the
party press. and from THE Times,
which is never a party organ, the n. is;
ample assurances Of their respect and
admiration and loyalty. Those 70
whose rather imperious wishes he has
submitted are the most profuse in their
professions Of confidence. THE Times
itself Is profuse. | question nobody's
sincerity. Still less do I question the
wisdom Of the party in making the best
and the most Of the leader whom they
have resolved to keep as leader. The
tribute they pay to his abilities is de-
served. But whether these abilities
are of the kind most needed in leader
is different question.
Mr.. Law is a very interesting person
ality. but since he does not by birth
belong TO the governing classes he has
TO- hx,l .irfh nr other
wise, he has the qualities essential to
leadership Some Of these he certainly
has. Those which can be acquired he
has acquired. He started in life with
an ambition TO serve the State. Per-
haps he would say, more simply. that
he always wanted to go into politics.
To accomplish that he had first ~
make himself financially independent,
since politics, as he understands them,
do not in this country lead to fortune
nor have they a money basis. The
Civil Service which is. or may be.
profitable career, is not a political ser
vice. Civil Servants are supposed to
have no politics. They have perma-
nence and a pension instead.
So Mr.. Bonar Law. beginning life
with the advantage Of being born In
New Brunswick. the son Of a clergy
man. was partly educated there; then
came TO Glasgow. finished his education
in the Glasgow High School and went
into the iron business. In that bust
ness. never losing sight Of his ultimate
aim, he made, if not a great fortune
a competence. While making il he was
fitting himself for public life He
studied finance, economy, political ana
otherwise, and fiscal questions and his
tory. He missed no chance OF attend
ing miniature local Parlaments; de-
batting societies. and public meetings.
He studied elocution and the art OF
making speeches and Of debate lie
took immense pains. He was so far
from neglecting his proper iron bust
ness that he became Chairman of the
Glasgow Iron Trade Association. ana
partner successfully in two leading
Iron firms.
In 1900. being then torty-two years
old. he became Member of Parliament
for the Blackfriar Division Of Glasgo"
and two years later Parliamentary
Secretary to the Board OF Trade. He
was soon recognized as an authority
on fiscal questions. His purely Pariia-
mentary reputation grew, but grew
rather slowly. He spoke carefully anu
effectively. but the House Of Commons
manner is not acquired all at once: nor
is the ear of the House open TO all
corners. What is sure TO tell in the
long run is first character and Sec
ondly mastery Of the subject on which
a man chooses to speak. Mr. Law
had both. but ne had. at first, neither
confident manner nor the gift OF APP
pealing to the sympathies Of the House.
He had. and has to this day, rather a
deprecating manner; almost apologize
and he had not authority. He was not
at his ease. His abilities and his power
in debate appeared less than they really
were.
Perhaps the decisive moment In MS
public life was when, in 1910, he re-
signed a safe seat for Dulwich in order
"a contest, as a Tariff RefOrmer, North
West Manchester. a Free Trade con-
stituency. He did not win II, but the
eallantry of such an effort at a critical
moment, and the mastery he showed
in the contest made him all at once a
conspicuous figure in Parliament and
in the country. Shortly after, he came
back to the House as member FOR the
Bootle Division Of Lancashire. MI
Ralfour was driven out Of the leader
shin of the Unionist party and Mr..
Bonar Law, in circumstances OF singu-
lar confusion, was chosen his successor
II WAS avowedly an experiment. IL
was more than that. II was com
promise. There were at least two men
who had stronger claims on the party
and more experience. Mr.. walter
Long and Mr.. Austen Chamberlain
Each was supported by section OF the
party of about equal strength. Neither
was willing to give way to the other.
Both consented to waive their claims
in favor Of a third candidate, and the
most available candidate at the moment
was thought to be Mr.. Bonar Law.
He had had no experience whatever IN
leadership. He had never been Cabi-
net Minister. He had never, / think,