Show FAMOUS US octogenarians 0 oaf ani AR I 1 A N S three who are making a life race with the century great men of europe europ who may live I lve to see the close cloae ot of the year 1900 glad s pope leo I eo and prince bismarck of tile them three notable octogenarians of europe leo XIII the supreme pontiff of the catholic world gladstone the ex premier of england and bismarck ex chancellor of the german empire the oldest is gladstone who was born bom in 1809 and the youngest is bismarck born in 1815 while the pope who ho was born in 1810 is but two months younger than gladstone gladston the three octogenarians says the new york sun differ as greatly from each other in their genius as in their I 1 life de work each of them possesses exceptional traits of character the pope is spoken of as the pacificator bismarck as the tha man of blood and iron gladstone as the grand old man the only may one of these yet in active service is the pope who was elected as supreme pontiff in 1878 prior to that time he had been archbishop of damiata apostolic nuncio to belgium bishop of perugia and member of the college of cardinals gladstone was a member mem berof of parliament in ent as early as 1833 he subsequently held a great variety of offices under the government including the office of chancellor of the exchequer he was premier for the first time as successor to disraeli i in INS 1868 and for the second time in 1830 and for the third time in 1816 and d for the last tune time from 1893 1892 to 1894 when he resigned he has been the author of many books theological classical and political Bis marcks career has been less varied in 1848 he was chosen a member of the second chamber of the prussian diet he was subsequently prussian ambassador to st petersburg and to paris prussian miu minister ister of foreign affairs and finally in 1871 chancellor of the german empire which he held until he was relieved by the present kaiser of the three octogenarians the pope is the one who possesses the most amiable and kindly disposition gladstone is a man of warm temper which is apt to become hot when aroused bismarck is a person of exceeding irascibility which characteristic however accord ing ig to all ac accounts couns has become greatly m modified since his fall from power the pope is the most eminent catholic scholar and theologian of hi bis time gladstone is a man of vast and varied learning bismarck has made no mark upon the age outside of statecraft the popes activity in the business of the church is ceaseless ile he keeps watch of his charge in every country he receives and holds intercourse with prelates pr elates priests and other visitors from all parts of the world he composes encyclicals als upon many subjects he labors incessantly incessantly for the a tion of christendon he performs all his duties in a manner at once precise and vigilant gladstone though retired from office is busy with one thing or another every day of his life he is engaged at literary labor he travels at home and abroad he keeps an eye upon the affairs of church and state he gives utterance to his fais views upon public questions and retains his interest in them his bis powers seem to be in excellent order he takes the greatest enjoyment in life and action he may yet azain again be he ardin parliament bismarck the youngest of the three octogenarians has passed into retirement for the remainder of his existence he himself has told within the past pas few weeks of the effort he had to make to take part in the celebration of his eightieth birthday and to receive the many delegations which have waited upon him his participation in the ceremonies has been a hard t trial I 1 for him his speeches to the delegations have been very laborious and short and it has frequently been necessary that he should receive the help of his friends while moving about Glad stones thoughtful careful and venerable wife lives to cheer his years it was but recently that bismarck became a widower the supreme pontiff never marries there are often reports about each of the three octogenarians that his bis death is at hand band wit but at I 1 least east two of them are ceaselessly cea busy and only one of them talks gloomily it would teem seem that the pope is ia never kept from his duties by the condition of his health it is certain that Glad stones occasional ailments are of short duration bis mareks marcks frame has been more seriously shaken than that of either of his two contemporaries yet it were idle to speculate upon the prospects of life for any one of the three it may be that the oldest of them will outlive the youngest it is not in every age of the world that three such octogenarians as those here spoken of are seen it is not of often ten that three veterans of their distinctiveness of character hold such places in the world as they have held contemporaneously there have been but few instances in which a pope of the years of leo XUL has been as active as he is gladstone is without a parallel in british annals bismarck is without a rival in the past as he was the first chancellor chancelor of the existing german an empire the three octogenarians must occupy a largo large place in the political and ecclesiastical sias history of the nineteenth century |