OCR Text |
Show THE SAILOR'S FRIEND. One of the quaintest of recent political incidents is the speech in which Mr. Plimsoll, the sailor's friend, vacated his seat at Derby, in England, in order to enable Sir William Harcourt, the Home Secretary of the present administration, to recover his place in Parliament. It is an exceedingly grave step for a member of Parliament to resign for such a purpose, but it is exceedingly singular to find anywhere in public life a simplicity of character such as Mr. Plimsoll has shown, and without forfeiting in the least degree respect for his manliness. It is a unique incident in political history.<br><br> Having called a meeting of his constituents, the electors of Derby, Mr. Plimsoll stated that he had had grave discussions with his wife upon the subject of withdrawing, and said; "I can lay my present matter before you best, perhaps, by relating our conversation. ‘Eliza, the Home Secretary has been defeated at Oxford, and I want to ask my constituents to let me give him my seat for Derby.' ‘Why?' ‘To help the sailors.' ‘How will that help them?' ‘This way: Sir William has helped me before; he has shown a great willingness at all times to do the sailors justice. Will he be less willing when he will owe them so much? Consider a moment. You know that the acts of 1875 and 1876 are simply murderous impostures; that the preventable loss of life is still as great as ever. Well, this is how the matter stands with the Government.' (I speak here without any authority; it is my idea only of the present situation) ‘Their Home Secretary is without a seat, and a seat must be found. There will be no lack of offers, but they will all probably be for trumpery little places which it will be one of the first places which it will be one of the first duties of the new Government to disfranchise. To accept one of them would seriously embarrass their future course. To secure even one of these would involve degrading personal canvassing, and it is undesirable in a high degree that a high officer of state should be subjected to this; and lastly, even the right to canvass must be reached through dirty bargaining with the present representative. The Liberal party will be saved, the sailors will be benefited [benefitted], and no single friendship need by sacrificed; but it is an unusual state of things we have to consider, and we may easily make a great mistake. Let us take the matter to God, and seek His guidance.' We did; we reminded Him of the word of His promise upon which He had caused us to rely. ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of ??? giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not.' And when we rose, the path of duty was as clear and plain before us as a turnpike. We looked at each other; it was enough."<br><br> So was his speech. The Spectator says, "No wonder Derby was taken by storm." Sir William Harcourt was promptly elected, and it will be strange if he does not make the cause of the sailor his own. -Harper's. |