as if even in the House of Commons he were still the con

MR. GLADSTONE'S SANCHO PANZA. sci-nceless automaton in horsehair wig and silken gown which pleads at the bar that black is white and wrong is right,

He was the great Sancho Panza of the Don Quixote Glad

stone; and his merry jests enlivened a battle that otherwise according to its brief.

would have been all too deadly earnest. He deserves credit HOW HE BEGAN POLITICAL LIFE.

for never having been befooled even for a moment by the It is not so many years ago—by the almanack, although theatricality of the Suez shares; and he maintained in public looking back across three Parliaments it seems as if it were an unprecedented and astounding consistency for four years, almost as distant as the Deluge—when Sir William Harcourt, during which he did doughty service for his party and his finding that Mr. Gladstone had made disastrous shipwreck cause as the most Gladstonian of Gladstonians. But even of his career, displayed a marked inclination to pose as a then he was distrusted. Gossip said that he abused Mr. Gladfrondeur. Before the General Election of 1874 he made stone in private as vehemently as he applauded him in public speeches which seemed to foreshadow his development into —that was in 1878; and Ginx's Baby even put the story in a premature and overgrown Labouchere, so Radical was he print, in a story in which he lampooned the right hon. gentleand cynical. After the election he somewhat changed his man as much as Mr. Mallock has recently lampooned Mr. pose. If not exactly a Conservative, he became highly eccle- Chamberlain. The great defect of Sir W. Harcourt's pious siastical as a Low Church politician, and electrified the oratory as a defender of Bulgarian liberty and champion of House by posing with Mr. Disraeli, as Sir Wilfrid Lawson Afghan independence is that which often vitiates the effect of cruelly remarked, as the Melancthon and the Luther of the sermons of the insincere: he overdid the unction. the new Reformation that was

THE CHAMELEON OF POLITICS. to purge the Church of England of Ritualism and restore

It is somewhat difficult to dethe primitive Protestantism of the

scribe the exact shade of Sir Establishment In his new

William Harcourt's Liberalism. capacity he essayed to cross swords

He is the chameleon of politics, with Mr. Gladstone as a Canonist,

whose hue changes from day to and paid the penalty of his rash

day, according to the opinions of ness. The Public Worship Re

those with whom he has for the gulation Act, for which he

time made alliance. It is someexpressed such extravagant ad

what startling to pick up one of miration, is almost forgotten; but

his old speeches delivered as far it ought to be had in everlasting

back as 1880, before the General remembrance as an illustration of

Election which hurled Lord the wisdom which the cynics and

Beaconsfield from place and power, “men of the world.” bring to the

and to discover that at that time Sir regulation of Divine service. Mr.

William Harcourt regarded himself Labouchere and Mr. Bradlaugh

as a moderate Liberal: “one of drawing up rules for the Salvation

those miserable Whigs who led an Army would hardly be a

abject and servile life under the grotesque spectacle than

tyranny of Mr. Chamberlain." afforded by Mr. Disraeli and his

Whatever moderation there may valiant henchman in that sudden

have been in Sir William crusade against Popery in mas

Harcourt's Liberalism in those querade.

days, it has long ago disappeared,

and his latest perfornances in A LIBERAL DISRAELI.

the House were such as to excite To the ordinary Liberal poli

the admiration of Mr. Labouchere, tician the incident only deepened

and to excite the amusement, not antecedent impressions of Sir W.

to say dismay, of such moderate Harcourt's shistiness; and dark

men as Mr. John Morley. Though rumours were current in the pro

Sir William Harcourt has ceased vinces that secret overtures had

to be a “miserable Whig,” and been made by the Minister of the

has developed into Home day with a view to the transfer of

IN 1872.

Ruler and National Leaguer of “ Historicus” from the Liberal to

the most approved Irish pattern, the Constitutional side. They

(Photograph by Whitelock, Birmingham.)

he has never been able failed, said malignant Radicals,

emancipate himself from the inonly because it was no use carrying coals to Newcastle. fluence of Mr. Chamberlain. One Disraeli was sufficient to furnish forth a party with an abundant lack of principle. They had no need of a second

HIS RELATIONS TO MR. CHAMBERLAIN. hand Dizzy. So Sir William Harcourt abode with the In the Cabinet, when the Land Purchase and Home Rule Liberals, and avenged himself on the other side by blazing Bills were in process of gestation, Sir William Harcourt was forth in a perfect broadside of epigrams and savage jokes, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain's henchman, and after Mr. Chamwhich gained him no small distinction in the fierce campaign berlain shook the dust off his feet and departed from the that began with the Bulgarian atrocities, and ended with the Administration, Sir William Harcourt refrained from following establishment in office of Sir William Harcourt as Home his example only because he had determined to stand or fall Secretary of Mr. Gladstone's penultimate Administration. by the Grand Old Man, whether right or wrong; and thus it During the whole of these memorable years, of which Mr. was that we had two politicians before the country at the Gladstone was the leader, Sir William Harcourt was the same time who held the same principles, one of whom was in slogger of the fight. He laid on amain with his quarterstaff, the Cabinet and the other out. When the Government was and delighted the hearts of the Gladstonians by the fervour defeated and the Tories came into power, political observers with which he laid on his sarcasm and plied his rhetoric to watched with some curiosity to see whether Sir William prove that Lord Beaconsfield was leading his country incon- Harcourt would remain faithful in adversity to his fallen tinently to the devil, and that the only way of salvation chief. Nothing would have been more characteristic of him was by an alliance with Russia for the development of the than to have gone over bag and baggage to the Liberal oppressed nationalities.

Unionists, with whom it was believed he entirely agreed, and

more
was

to

whose criticisms of the policy adopted by the Cabinet of which vehement than he was; but now that his cue is to be on Mr. Sir William Harcourt was a member nowhere met with more Parnell's side, he makes speeches from which even the most cordial assent than from Sir William Harcourt himself.

thorough-going Liberal Home Rulers would recoil

. In politics in the House of Commons he is usually supposed to be a man HIS FIRST LEADERSHIP.

of the world, but when he goes down to the provincial platform Fortunately-80 strangely ordered are the affairs of man and harangues dissenters he is almost as eminent a pietist as – Mr. Gladstone's need of rest in Bavaria decided the Mr. Joseph Chamberlain himself, whose famous dissertation question as to Sir William Harcourt's position. As usual, concerning his Nonconformist ancestors will not be soon lie must have been in twenty minds as to what to do, when Mr. forgotten. The pious fervour with which Sir William Gladstone's departure opened the door to immediate promotion, Harcourt speaks is marvellous, and no Methodist local which seemed to secure for him the title of heir presumptive preacher can excel him in quoting texts on occasions. But to the Liberal leadership. Some Radicals thought Mr. Morley all this exuberant piety failed to save him from the assault of should have been at once installed as Mr. Gladstone's lieutenant Mr. Alfred Dyer, the Quaker, who went down to Derby to do to lead the party in Mr. Gladstone's absence. Had their battle against Sir William Harcourt as the incarnation of counsels been followed we should probably ere this have seen ungodly indifference to the misdeeds of Mrs. Jefferies and her the alliance between Sir William Harcourt and Mr. Chamber- class. As a man, Sir William Harcourt, although a somewhat lain publicly avowed; and we should have had oceans of doughty knight in speech, is said to be lacking in that feareloquence poured forth upon the world to prove that Home lessness which is almost indispensable in rulers in these present

trying times.

HOME SECRETARY, 1880–85.

It was his lot to be Home Secretary when Mr. Gladstone was endeavouring to govern Ireland by coercive methods; and unless rumour lies mora than it is wont to do, there was no member of the Ministry whese life was rendered more miserable to him by the threats of dynamitards than was Sir Wiliam Harcourt's. The speed with which he rushed the Explosives Act through the House of Commons was much commented on at the time, and there were not warting those who declared that they had never seen a Home Secretary in such a friglit. Possibly they were mistaken, or they might not have had much esperience of Home Secretaries. Sir William Harcourt's situation was a difficult one, and the constant fear of assassination told at last upon even the iron nerve of Cromwell.

GOOD ADVICE.

Probably it will never be the THE LIBERAL FROST BENCH IN 1882.

fate of this country to have

Sir William Harcourt as Prime Rule was a delusion and a snare, and that the only wise men Minister, and it is doubtful whether we shall ever again see and true patriots were those who would have nothing to him as leader of the House of Commons; but the future is so do with any measure which did not bear the true Birmingham dark, and the prospects of parties so involved, that he would stamp: Wiser counsels prevailed. Sir William Harcourt was be a bold man who would prophesy that one who is so ready of installed in the vacant seat, and for the rest of the Session he tongue and who has such freedom from conviction as Sir led the party. The natural pomposity of the man found full William Harcourt will not find himself very near the top of expression in the new position; and whatever may have been the tree; although it is more probable than not that he may the case with his colleagues and his followers, it is safe to say yet'have to yield the attainment of his supreme ambition to that the few weeks during which Sir William led the Opposi- his friend at Birmingham. His chances, however, would be tion were among the sweetest of all his parliamentary life. none the worse if he could convince the British householder HIS PERSONAL QUALITIES.

that he intended in the future to cultivate a little more Strange though it may seem to those who only know the assiduously the virtues of disinterestedness and sincerity. public career of Sir William Harcourt, he is cordially liked by Seeing that Sir William Harcourt is now acclaimed by his friends. A vehement and impatient young Radical once some of the stalwarts amongst us, even by such a man as <leclared with emphatic vulgarity that Sir William Harcourt Mr. H. J. Wilson of Sheffield, as a Chief whom they was a “beast.” ** It may be so," said the experienced would be glad to see at their head, it would seem we politician to whom the observation was addressed, “it may be so, but never forget he is a good beast.” He is kind-hearted,

may take the flattering unction to our souls that the and in the urreserve of familiar intercourse there is no trace

admonition with which this article of 1886 concluded of that slightly grandiose manner which he mistakes for

has been taken to heart, and that we have now to deal dignity. His chief weakness is the consequence of his lack of

with a new man who has found salvation, and therefore sincere conviction. He is always more or less playing a rôle, can be dealt with more sympathetically than would and, like many actors, he often tends to overdo his part. When otherwise bave been possible. At the same time, there he denounced Mr. Parnell, no one could have been more is such a strong tendency on the part of the old Adam

SPEAR.

AS SOME SEE HIM.

AS I DRAW HIM.

within to revert to his

A CAPTIVE OF HIS BOW AND original attitude, that I cannot help fearing that Sir

How much that prestige William Harcourt may yield

was enhanced by his exploits to the temptation of rever

last Session can best be seen sion, and that, in place of

luy printing what the Daily the regenerate and sanctified

Chronicle wrote of him the one whom Mr. H. J. Wilson

other day:acclaims, we may have the

As for the immediate duty of old unregenerate Sir William,

Liberals and Radicals, it is against whom Mr. Wilson ten

clear. Sir William Harcourt years ago was zealous even

Hy. I

succeeds by unquestioned and to slaying.

unquestionable right of service A PARTING WORD FROM THE

to the position which Lord

Rosebery has vacated. The OLD ADAM. But in order to fortify my

(By Mr. Harry Furniss).

author of the great Radical

Budget, the man who destroyed self against this temptation,

the Education Bill, the master and to make it clear from what depth of distrust I have of parliamentary strategy who broke up in a single Session the escaped-pro tem. I will quote one other judgment most powerful anti-Liberal majority which the century has which I published in the REVIEW OF REVIEWS in witnessed, has no present rival. He is in the popular House ; August, 1891:

he is beyond all comparison the most potent figure there.

Those of us who stand less for party than for human interests Rumour has it that at a recent Liberal conclave it was

acknowledge with gratitude his great services to the cause of decided that Sir William Harcourt should, in the event of

Anglo-American arbitration. The Labour party, in particular, Mr. Gladstone's retirement or apotheosis, be the next Liberal

have to thank him for his endeavour to convert the Coal Mines Prime Minister. The fact that such a decision would render

Regulation Bill into a charter of workmen's lives. Nor can it impossible for us to have a Liberal Prime Minister during

we forget that in the conduct of the Eastern controversy nothe lifetime of Sir W. Harcourt can hardly have been present

living Liberal statesman, save Mr. Gladstone, can boast an. to the minds of those who put the rumour in circulation. The

experience which compares with that of Sir William Harcourt. Liberal Party is a party of enthusiasm and of conviction. Sir

He has known all the great European statesmen of his time. W. Harcourt has neither the one nor the other. The men

He can touch the strings as no one but Lord Salisbury can who alone can be depended upon to carry the constituencies

touch them. Next to Mr. Gladstone, he was in 1876 the most are those to whom politics are a religion. To Sir W. Harcourt

powerful and most persuasive alvocate of the policy in regard politics are a mere game. The other day I was talking in this strain to one of Sir William's colleagues, when he gravely

to the Turkish Empire which has to-day become the basis of reproved me. “I am quite sure,” said my friend,“ that there are

the national will. He is a good fighter; he is built on the

lines from which statecraft is made. We cannot but rejoice in some things about which Sir William is quite sincere.” “Name, name !” I cried. "Well, for instance,” replied his apologist,

the prospect of strength and coherence which opens out to us

for the first time since Mr. Gladstone's retirement. With Sir “I am quite sure that no one could possibly be more sincere than is Sir William in disliking the Colonies !” The day on

William Harcourt as Leader we unite popular opinion with which the Liberal Party entrusts its destinies to a leader

the popular House, we join hands with the best traditions of whose one sincere conviction is a hatred of Great Britain

the past, and we invite steady co-operation by “men of goodwill rightly seal its exclusion from office for the rest of

will ” for the problems which await us in the near and the

distant future. the century. Whoever else may be possible, Sir W. Harcourt is not.

A NOTABLE CONVERT. With this judgment of 1891 appended to the descrip

Of course it would be a mistake to take our impulsivetion of 1886, 1 rid myself of whatever leaven of

and somewhat unbalanced contemporary as representing uncharitableness may have been due to the observation

either the country or the party, or even the Radicals of a Parliamentary career now extending over a quarter rump; but undoubtedly the Daily Chronicle represents of a century, and, coming round with a wrench, describe

Mr. Massingham, and if any one in 1894 had approachell the politician whose visage is nowhere contemplated

the editor of the Chronicle with a prediction that at the with such complacency as when it smiles upon Sir latter end of 1896 he would have chanted such an William out of his own looking-glass. So now good-bye

ecstatic anthem of praise to the honour and glory of Sir to Dugald Dalgetty.

William Harcourt, that good man would have held up

his hands with holy horror and exclaimed “Is thy II.-FUZZY WUZZY.

servant a dog that he should do this thing?” He has

done it all the same, dog or no dog, and although no. In Fuzzy Wuzzy of the Soudan, that first-class

doubt he is now repenting in sackcloth and ashes over fighting man who may be regarded as the prototype and

the wild exuberance of his latest outburst, it stands on exemplar of the Knight of Malwood, Rudyard Kipling

record as an instance of the extent to which our Fuzzy in that famous barrack-room ballad in which he used the

Wuzzy has compelled the allegiance and conquered the lingo of Tommy Atkins in order to describe the salutary

enthusiasm of his most unsparing critics. effect which the brave Fuzzy Wuzzy left on the mind of the British soldier-sums up his supreme achievement

SIR WILLIAM'S NEW POSITION. in the fact that he broke a British square. The Con- Certain it is that Sir William Harcourt occupies to-day servatives and Unionists could sing Kipling's ballad a much more commanding position in the country than about Harcourt with right good will; nor would they he has ever occupied at any period of his previous have to go further than last Session to find an illustration career. That, at least, will be admitted alike by friends of how capable is our Fuzzy Wuzzy of breaking a square, and foes. As long as Lord Rosebery held the position even when defended by a majority of 167. It was that of Leader of the Liberal Party, Sir William Harcourt was exploit more than any other which gave him the prestige labouring under an eclipse. The two men did not pull which he at present enjoys in the country.

together any better than Lord Salisbury did with

Mr. Disraeli when the Ministry of 1874 was formed, achievement in this way-one which may indeed be said when the present Prime Minister is said to have declared to rise almost to the dignity of the sublime for its heroic to a friend concerning the then Prime Minister, that subordination of what is to that which ought to bewords could not express the loathing and detestation occurs in a speech which he delivered at a banquet given with which he regarded him. But Mr. Disraeli was

to celebrate the passing of tough, very tough, while Lord Rosebery to his many

his Budget. Considering brilliant and commanding qualities failed to add that

that the late Liberal Adsupreme necessity of a leader, the skin of a pachyderm.

ministration was of all Hence Mr. Disraeli and Lord Salisbury managed to get

administrations known in along together without any open breach, and nothing

recent history the most that Lord Salisbury could have done in the way of

distracted by internal distemper would have led the inscrutable Hebrew to

sension, and that it was abandon his right to lead the party.

haunted all its days by the THE GIRAFFE AND THE RHINOCEROS.

development of the fissipaLord Rosebery, unfortunately, was made of more

rous tendency which sensitive material, and an alliance between him and Sir

ultimately proved fatal, what William Harcourt might be compared to the yoking

can we think of the moraltogether of a rhinoceros and a giraffe. The grace, the

or immoral, if you likebeauty, the speed, the coroneted head, and the pathetic

defiance of obvious facts that eye, all belong to the one; while the other has the weight

is to be found in the followthat tells, and a hide tough enough to flatten a musket

ing passage, taken from his ball. Such incongruous partners could hardly keep step

speech of August 1st, 1894:

IN 1880. for long, and when one trod on the foot of the other

When we came into power it was not the rhinoceros that felt it most. But as

two years ago our opponents long as the giraffe remained in harness it was visible

confidently predicted that we should not last three months, far and near, and to the multitude his humbler yoke

and yet we are still alive, and we have wrought no small part

of our task. Such a result has filled our opponents with equal fellow passed unnoticed. But now that the giraffe has

astonishment, horror, and dismay. How has it been done? snapped the traces and is careering round with all the

It has been done because you have stuck to the colours and savage freedom of the desert, the rhinoceros holds the

stood by the guns. By courage, by perseverance, by steadfield. It is only in human nature to try to make the fastness, by patient determination, by united action we have best of things, and accordingly we are all endeavouring fought our way and we have had our way. Each section of to the utmost of our several abilities to make the best the party has been not unwilling to co-operate for the common of our rhinoceros. The first thing that every one says,

end, and to sacrifice something to the general cause. Gentleand says with reason, is that Mr. Harcourt is Fuzzy men, this is the secret of success; that is the path of victory. Wuzzy; that is to say, the first-class fighting man whom

Our foes counted on our disunion. They tell us every day we the party needs. The Liberals being in a very small

quarrel among ourselves. Well, happily we are not acquainted minority, stand more in need than ever of having a

with that disturbance. They have been disappointed

bitterly disappointed, because they have found that the leader who will not turn his back to the foe, and who

Liberal Party has stood shoulder to shoulder, and the country does not hesitate to head a forlorn hope.

has stood by the Liberal Party. A GOOD PARTISAN CHIEF.

A NOT OVER-SCRUPULOUS BOTTLE-HOLDER. Lord Randolpli Churchill led a party of four rith intrepidity and success. Sir William Harcourt has not

Considering that within twelve months of this speech quite so small a following as Lord Randolph possessed

the country had an opportunity of showing how it stood at the beginning of his career; but he will not be

by the Liberal Party, with the result that a smaller disheartened on account of the fewness of his following.

number of Liberals were returned to the House of The fewer men there are behind him, the more he must

Commons than at any previous election since the spread himself; the weaker the chorus of approval, the

Reform Act, this passage may be regarded as extremely more vigorously must he beat the drum; and no one can

characteristic of the intrepidity with which Sir deny that for such partisan purposes Sir William

William Harcourt inspirits by supplying them, in the Harcourt is almost ideally fitted. When a warrior rises

unfortunate absence of facts, with the most appetising

substitutes. But the Liberal Party at the present in the fray to lead his followers to combat, it is not always an advantage that he should be scrupulously

moment wants to be clapped on the back and assured accurate in his statement of the chances of victory. I do

that it never was in better form in its life, and all that it not mean to say by this that a man should tell a good

needs is to go in and conquer. Such assurances Sir big thumping lie in order to inspirit his soldiers; but if

William can pour out without stint. It must be admitted it were necessary to do so, Sir William Harcourt is the

that in the history of the Education Bill of last Session man to do it. Of course a “lie” is a horrid word which

Sir William Harcourt found much to justify his robust ought never to be used in political discussion. Perhaps disregard of facts and figures. As he told his constituents it would be more parliamentary to say that when it is

last month when all others were cowed by the imposing necessary to invigorate your party by inciting them to

majority of 167 registered for the Education Bill, he volunteer on a forlorn hope to attack an impregnable

almost alone had kept up his heart. “Do not quail,” he position, Sir William Harcourt, better than any other said, “ before this imposing majority. I know these man, can adjust the language of his declarations to the majorities; they are like the weather we have had to-day standard of his wishes with less regard to the theory of —they rattle and they pelt, but they blow over.” probabilities or the stern logic of facts.

A SPECIMEN OF THE HARCOURTJAN STYLE.
THE ART OF MAKING BELIEVE.

As the result of that policy of not quailing Sir William No one excels him in clapping a telescope to his blind could point to a brilliant and smashing victory, so he is eye when he does not wish to see things. His greatest certain to keep on that tack. As a specimen of the

a

vigorous manner in which he cheers up his followers lack in numbers, and who can be depended upon in any and gives them confidence that they are going to win, emergency to put the worst that can be said against the take the following sample from a speech which he Government as effectively and with as much downaddressed to a Liberal meeting in London on July 9th, thump positiveness as if he were ten times the Pope of 1890. It may be put on record as a very fair samplo of Rome. Whether it be invective or prophecy, or sarcasm, the Harcourtian humour and Harcourtian invective :- or raitlery, Sir William Harcourt is always up to time. I can address you, I think I will not say as the heirs

The cock-sureness and dogmatic tone with which he presumptive, but as the heirs apparent of Parliamentary

speaks often gets him into tight places, and sometimes power. But in the capacity of heirs apparent I may give you

makes him ridiculous. Take, for instance, the famous the melancholy yet comfortable assurance that the present

declaration which he made immediately after the General • possessor of the estate is in articulo mortis I have the mis- Election of 1885: that the one thing which the election fortune to be an old practitioner, and I know the symptoms. had proved beyond all doubt, was that “the country I have made a diagnosis of the patient; I have examined his would never again, under any circumstances, return å tongue. Well, it is not clean. I have felt his pulse ; it is Tory majority.” It is a pity that when Sir William weak and fluttering. I have tried his temperature ; it is Harcourt is in these bouncing moods and dealing so decidedly high, and on the whole I fear that his condition is critical; and the bulletin I have to issue is that the patient

freely with his "nevers,” that he has no friend by his

side, who, like a character in a well-known comic opera, is sinking fast. No doubt this unfortunate patient, as often happens, has accelerated his fate by his own follies. The

only needs to ask, “What, never?” in order to tone malady, gentlemen, in my opinion, is of long standing

down the absolute positive to the milder, “Well, hardly the patient has been suffering from an incurable disease. His

ever.” lungs are not oxygenated by the air of public opinion, and

- AND HIS METHODIST TWIN. that always leads to a rapid and fatal decay. Therefore, we But in this respect Sir William Harcourt is very much cannot be surprised to see this patient

like the Rev. Hugh Price Hughes. this party-gasping for life, as we may sometimes have seen an unfortunate

They are both men who are thoroughly animal in an exhausted receiver. We

impressed with the importance of have seen this party for some time

printing in capital letters and proin a bad way, and they have been going

ducing their effects in what may be from bad to worse, somewhat more

called the magic-lantern style of magrapidly, indeed, than even I expected.

nification. With Sir William Harcourt Though I never had very high

all causes and parties are like the opinion of their sagacity, I think

little girl in the nursery rhyme, who their follies have exceeded even my ima

“When she was nice, was very very gination.

nice, and when she was not, she was

horrid.” He is an artist in glaring THE ROLLICKING SWASHBUCKLER.

contrasts. When he whitewashes he That is Harcourt all over, the

lays on his brush with as much goodrollicking swashbuckler who plays

will as if he were painting an about him with his quarter-staff and

archangel; and when he is assailing goes into the fray with a good jolly

an opponent, the pigment which he laugh. What he said about his

uses is as black as tar, but fortunately optimism is no doubt true, and it is

not so sticky. one of the best of his many good

All these, however, are the defects qualities. When other people are

IN 1881.

of his qualities and the drawbacks of looking glum he is a veritable

his virtues. He is a man who never Brother Cheeryble. When alarmists and panic-mongers turns his back on a foe, and who never betrays his friends. are going about crying and shivering at the phantoms It may be true that some of his political allies, if not liis of their own imagination, he struts gaily into the friends, have said many cruel things concerning the arena crying out, “ Who's afraid ?” This tempera- discomfort they experienced when occupying the samo ment of his leads him to have little mercy upon the political bed with him; but although he may be a very whole race of croakers; and as for those quacks, uncomfortable bedfellow, he has never so far been known currency and fiscal, who build up their little schemes to kick any one out of bed. upon the assumption that we are all going to the dogs, his method of handling them recalls the familiar name of

III.-G. O. M. SECUNDUS. a well known poison which is guaranteed to be “Rough Another point about Sir William Harcourt which must on rats”! Sir William Harcourt is very rough on rats. be noticed, and which accounts for a good deal of what To see him pounding away at the bimetallists or the Fair may be regarded as the new and altogether unexpected Traders is as good as an assault-at-arms. You see the popularity that he has achieved of late years, is the scorn and contempt of the man boiling out at every pore. fact that he has succeeded, quite unexpectedly, to some To him the bimetallist is on a par with the lunatic who

measure of the political prestige of Mr. Gladstone. would propose to make cowries and brass farthings legal tender; while as for Fair Traders or Protectionists, how

THE OLD PARLIAMENTARY HAND. ever disguised, he never seems so much in his element as

It is rather startling to those who can remember well when he has knocked them down and is dancing on their

the first appearance of Sir William Harcourt in the prostrate forms.

political arena, to be told that he is now one of the

oldest Parliamentary hands in the House. He is almost PROFESSOR DOWN-THUMP.

the only man on the Front Opposition Bench who has All this, of course, is first-rate from the party point of been in Parliament for a quarter of a century. He is, of view. The Liberals want some one who will speak with the course, a mere chicken compared with Mr. Gladstone; enemy in the gate, who will make up in bluff what they but Mr. Gladstone is not there, and Sir William Harcourt