The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-01

probably be very much annoyed II he
heard you call him politician. AL
though a brilliant tactician he has no
liking for party tactics.
Recently In the house of commons
Bonar Law declared that he had
never heard an eloquent speech in
that chamber, but in this he was dis
tinctly unkind to his former leader,
for Balfour is G. really brilliant ora
tor. A master OF the art of debate,
there is rarely an empty seat in the
chamber when he proceeds to unfold
himself by sections from his usually
huddled position chin sunk on
breast, and one slender leg entwined
about the other-and takes the floor.
The premier or other high cabinet Of
ficers may make statements Of even
the highest international importance
to empty benches, but friends and
foes alike troop in when Prince Ar
thur" is on his feet. A few rude OPP
ponents once called him Pretty
dunys Jul IL 10 DIS lJHC6 AILHul
that he is endeared to the house. and
his bitterest opponents never display
towards him the animosity they al.
ways show when talking of Bonar
Law. the Chamberlains and the Lords
Hugh and Robert Cecil (Balfours
cousins.) In fact there is little doubt
that Balfour is more the leader of his
party today than he was when he
actually handled the helm.
But for his indecision in matters
political, the history of the British
political parties might have had to be
rewritten. When 80 years old the late
Lord Randolph Churchill founded the
Tory-democratic party which was
then known as the fourth party
tthe labor group being non-existenD
Balfour joined, but when Lord Ran
! dolph gave up the struggle, he wasn't
ready to take over the leadership, and
returned to the tory fold.
That he can be a strong man in adj
ministrative work was proved when
in 1887 he was appointed Irish secre-
, tary 1t was just after the Phoenix
Park murders and Ireland was almost
! in open revolt. Balfour used the iron
I hand, but tempered it with mercy
and his sincere desire to get at the
root of the discomfort impressed ever
4 his most ardent foes. For four years
he carried his life in his hands. bu
he showed his courage by refusing Il
have the police escorts without which
scarcely another English official dared
travel in Ireland. He walked about
unattended, personally inquiring into
I things and seeing that his orders were
/ carried out, and the fiercest Irish ma
tionalists forebore to shoot at the
Irish secretary whom they hated as
politician but admired as man
Ireland was comparatively peaceful
| when he left Dublin in 1891 to take UP
the post of first lord of the treasury
and leader of the conservative party
in the house of commons.
Balfour has proved his valor in 9th
er directions. Despite the fact that
he has spent the best part of his life
avoiding the mantraps set by design,
/ ing mothers and fascinating widows
{ whose eyes were on the Cecil millions
I he is one of the most popular bachel
| ors in the drawing rooms of Europe
I He frankly admits that he likes fem
! mime society and there are still a
good many "mammas" who, deceived
by his charming courtesy and simpli
city of manner, have not yet given ur
hopes for their daughters.
! He would probably prefer now tc
1 step out of politics altogether. but he
/ knows that his party and his oppon
ents cannot get on without him-he
is always consulted on matters of high
statecraft of a non-party nature by
Premier Asquith-and if his party
cannot find another satisfactory lead
/ err it is believed that Prince Arthur
! will sacrifice his personal wishes and
take the helm again. He has always
refused titles, and cannot put a 1.-THE
of the letters after his name, that are
sported by far less important person
ages He is of course P. C. (priy,
councillor) and an F. r. S. (Fellow O
the Royal Society, letters for which
many great savants have strived II
vain and he is LID of every univer
sity in Great Britain, but otherwise
this ACCOMPLISHMENTS Statesman
will die with no other handle to his
name than Right Honorable"
TODAY.