Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, September 6, 1903, Page 24

Lord Dudley, (Copyright, 1903, by T. C. McClure.) HEN Kmg Edward and Queen Alexandra visited Ireland the other day they werc warmly greeted, but the crowds cheered Just as heartily for Lorl and Lady Dudley, who plloted the king and queen around Dublfn. And with good reason, Lord Dudley I8 the man who is making peace between England and Ireland. ‘““He is the most popular viceroy Ireland has ever had,” s the verdict of an Irish nationalist. member of Parliament. “'Vicee roy after viceroy have come here with the notion that they are the heads of an Enge lish garrison in a hostila country. They have stayed in Dublin castle, surrounded by old-fashioned, prejudiced officials, and have learned nothing about the people of the country except through official reports and minutes, They have allowed theme selves to be swathed like mummies in red tape, and then they have wondered why thelr administration was a fallure. “Not so Lord Dudley., As soon as he was ‘lhade lord lieutenant and took up the I:-Inn of government in Dublin the officials swarmed around him and expected him te simply 'O, K." all their proposals like an automaton, as his predecessors had done But he politely declined, saying, in effect: “‘I'm going among the people to find ou things for myself. 1 won't do anything blindfolded. When 1 come back I'll cone sider your schemes on their merits. 1 am going to make a tour through my automobile.’ “‘Alone? the officials gasped. ness, my lord ** *No, not with me.' “In vailn Ireland o ‘It is mad- You will be assassinatel.’ alone. Lady Dudley is gong the officlals implored him to glve up the idea. F¥le sa1id that he waos going among the people as a friend and he wae sure they would rece ve him as or “80 they did. That automobile trip was ® triumphal progress. Lord and Lady Dud- ley both possess the golden art of making friends. They m de thomselves so popular that anybody who had ever Insultcd them, much less harmed them, would have run a good chance of beinz mobbed. “Often they would stop thelr automobile at a peasant’'s cottage, beg a glass of milk and chat for hours with the family. Y.ord Dudley would get the huband's viws about polit'es and the land q»stion, while Y.ady Dudley would find out from the wife all about the womau's s'd» of Irish life and the need for reviving the lace- making craft and other old industries which would give employment to the girls. ““They didn’'t go to the biz country houres of their acquaintances, for they knew ths fandlord's views already. They gathered fnformation from the blacksmith, the vil- Jage tradesman, the rural constable, tho pastman and the cottager. Lord Dudley would sit up of nights drinking whisky with the parish priest and getting to know the truth about Ireland as no lord leu- tenant ever knew it before. He would even dance with the country girls at the cross- roads on Sundays, and go around the cot- tages expressing learned opinlons as to the value of the family pig. When he ro- turn o, «r Dublin he had mide hosits of fricwim® €ery where, and there was hardly & P of Irish life with which he was unfamd>r, *“Then,” continued the speaker, ‘“he hor- rifled the officlals by bursting all the bonds of red tape and reject ng their s hemes for mors coercion. In a hundred different directions he inltiated a peace-making prilcy which culminated eventually in the great Irish Land Purchase Bill. Most won- Aerful of all, he—a great landlord—went among his friends, the Irish ladlords, and talked to them like a Dutch uncle until he convinced them that it was fo''y to remaln in open warfare with their own tenants. “George Wyndhim, the Irish secretary, Bas alded this policy of prac:, and so have ethers; but we Irishmen are convinced that tho credit 18 mainly due to King Edward and the lord lieutenant. We believe that the king, who is an intimate personal friend of Lord Dudley, Inspired his appointment and backed up his policy from first to last, EARL OF DUDLEY, One thing 1s certain. While Lord Dudley remains at the head of affairs there is not likely to be any serious trouble in Ireland.” Lord Dudley, the great peace-maker, is a remarkable man in many ways. He is one of the richest pcers in Great Britlan, He has no necd of his salary of $100,00 a year as lord lieutenant of Ireland. Indeed, the cost of maintaining his viceregal position far cxceeds that sum. His eollierizs in the “Black Country' alone return him over $200,00 a year, and he also owns large de- posits ¢of mincrals in Staffordshire and Worcestershire, large iron works, big agri- cultural estates in various parts of Eng- land and plantations in Jamalca and other West India islands, At first sight nobody would take him for the thoughtful statesman and clever ad- ministrator he has proven him:elf to be. He is just a jolly, bluff, good-natured country squire to all appearances—the typical M, F. H. whose principal worry 1s the health of his horges and hounds. There 13, indced, no better sportsman in England. His word is law In the Jockey club, tha Ranelaugh club and th: Royal Yacht squadron—three of the most exclusive sporting clubs in the world, Yet this wealthy peer, who has all the money and titles a man can wish for, and every inducemcnt to live a life of idle luxury, works as hard at the difficult tr.de of government as any professional poli- ticlan, In 1195 he was electel mayor of Dudley, a grimy colllery town from which he takes his title. He proved him:elf such a good chief executive that he was rewarded by a second term. Week after week he punctually attended the meetings of the town council and its committees, gravely debating with butchers and bakers and candlestick makers the dry detnils of sewerage extensions and build- ing regulations. No public business was too petty or tiresome to receive his personal attention, He would give up a house party or a yachting trip in order to check the vouchers cf an assistant surveyor or at- Gleanings From the HARLES FROHMAN was dls- cussing the morals of the aver- age play. “I belleve In a clean stage,’”" he sald, “and 1 think the generally, is clean enough stage, Here spot You pretty and there, to be sure, you can find a of black, but you have to look for it. have to nose for it in the corners and re- mote recesscs, “Some of us can find uncleanliness any- where. A woman found uncleanliness once in Dr. Johnson's dictionary, “*I am sorry, sir,” she sald, ‘to see in your work so many naughty words.’' ‘S0, madame, you were looking for thiem, eh?’ the old lexicographer retorted. @ T.ord D, a proverblal hater of America and Americans, was dining lately in Parls with the British minister. Next to him at the table was a noted Newport Dbelle, Miss X, The conversation had drifted to a dis- cussion of things American, and Lord D, made some disagreeable remarks about some Americans he had met and some Yankee customs he abhorred. “Why, d've know,"” he continued, with an unpardonable want of tact, ‘“that at scme of the places I dined Iin America 1 saw people eat with their knives and spill their soup on the tablecloth.” Miss X. was thoroughly provoked by this time, but she replied with apparent un- concern: “What poor letters of introduction you must have had, my lord.” There was no more unpleasant talk about Americans that evening. —_— Representative Sibley of Pennsylvania went to Mexlco a time ago to look after some iInterests he has there., Being a vig- orous and erergetic man, he was worried by the shift’ess habits of the natives, One day in the City of Mexico he saw an imposing funeral procession, “Whose funeral is that?’ he asked of a tend a meeting of the subcommittee on street cleaning. Once, in 189, the House of L.ords had to decide a momentous question and Lord Dudley was asked to attend and swell the vote of the conservative majority, to which he belongs. “I'm sorry I can't,”” he sald. “Our town council meets the same night and I must be there.” ““Hang your parish pump!" exclaimed the conservative whip in dispute. “This is a national question. Parliament is more im- portant than the Dudley town council.” “I don’'t think s0,” replied Lord Dudley. “The British empire is big enough to get " along without me, or without the House of Lords, either, for that matter. But the town of Dudley needs a lot of looking after, Municipal administration is far and away more important than anything one can do in Parliament. It's better to mend one sewer than to make a hundred eloquent speeches about preserving the unity and dignity of the empire.” Lord Dudley made a strong stand for honesty In municipal affairs while he was mayor. He left no loopholes for ‘‘graft.’” Once he discovered some defalcations by a subordinate clerk, a young man of good character, who had just been married. He ordered his arrest. The wife begged, even with tears, for mercy; but the mayor was implacable, “Your husband must be punished for the sake of the example,” he told her. Lord Dudley, the mayor, was just. Lord Dudley, the man, was merciful. He spoke strongly in the clerk’'s favor at the trial and got him a light sentence. While the embezzler was in jail his wife received a check for his former salary every week from Lord Dudley. As soon as he was released th> man went to Witley court to thank his benefactor. ““Glad b see you, Jones,” sald Lord Dud- ley, cutting his words of gratitude short, “You're just the man I want. Ogpen to an offer, aren't you? Would you care to go abroad? I want a man to take charge of some of my business affairs in the West Indies. Do you think your wife would Story Tellers’ man passing. ‘““No sabe,” faid the man. *“Good!" shouted Sibley; ‘“now If they will bury manana, too, this country will amount to something.” B e A lady from Alexandria, Va, visiting in FPhiladelphia quite recently, told an anec- dote of her retiring cook which Is good enough to be told again: Myra, the colored cook, gave notice to Mrs. Richardson of her intention to leave at the end of the week. Mrs. R. highly prized the cook's abilities In the culinary line, and procecded to interview her in an effort to learn the reason for her departure, The following conversation ensued: “Myra, are you not satisfied with the wages and the home I give you?’ “Yes, Mis' Richurson, I allus bin happy wiv you all.” “Well, why do you leave?” “Say, ' Richurson, don't you all ‘'mem. ber dat fun'l in de next block las’ Friday »* Peacemaker of Britain mind living In the troples?™ “My lord, it is too good of you,” e claimed the man. “But how can you trust me after—" “Pshaw! That's past and paid for,” was the answer. ‘“Don't you know the best cricket bat is the one that's been brokea &and spliced?” And Lord Dudley sent the man out to the West Indies on a salary more than double that which he had got from the town council and trusted him with the handling of large sums of money. The man proved himself to be worthy of the confidence. This is only one of many conspiracies of kindness hatched between Lord and Lady Dudley. They are continually helping lame dogs over stiles. Their single alm in life seems to be to make other peop'e happy, and the amount of thought and ingenuity that they spend in doing so is by no means Fmall, Lord Dudley {s the patron of no fewer than thirteen church livings and has to support the {incumbents of all of them. This system of patronage in the Church of England is bitterly denounced even by Anglicans themselves, but if all patrons were like Lord Dudley there would be no complaint. He chooses his clergymen most conscientiously. Mere scholarship or social fnfluence has no weight with him; he wants a man who loves his fellow men. The late Jishop Creighton once sald at a public meeting that I.ord Dudley would have made a model bishop. Lord Dudley owes much of his succe's to his wife, Lady Dudley 1s a beautiful woman, but not half so beautiful as she is clever, and not half so clever as she is kind. She is the youngest daughter of Charles Gurney, the great Quaker baker. After his death she was adopted by the and duchess of Bedford. The philan- thropic duchess taught her to love and help the sick, the destitute and the miserable. B8he made her word a warm-hearted, be- nevolent woman like herself. The duke of Bedford is one of the largest landlords in London, and owns a great deal of slum property. His marriage w.s one of the romances of the peerage. Wi il he was 30 Lord Herbrand Russell, as .. then was, served in India as a major in i..2 army and an aide-de-camp to Lord Li..- ferin, the viceroy. The heir to one of t.a greatest titles and largest fortunes in i - land, he was naturally a mark for do.c. 3 of match-making mothers. Had he choso ., he might even have won the hand c¢: a royal princess, as the marquis of lLcrans did. But he fell in love with a clergyman s daughter in IL.ahore and married her. The duchess took the responsibilities of her rank seriously. “It is not right,” she told her -friends, “that we should draw large revenues fro:mn the poor and never trouble ourselves about how they live and how they get the mouncy which they pay us.” So she set the fashion in looking after the welfare of the poor in the East End of London, and many woa.en of title followed her example. Before her marriage Miss Gurney always accompanied the duchess on these visils to the homes of the pcor. She has a beaut.- ful voice, and is probably the best singer among British peeresses. Often she would sing for hours to please sick or aged folks, duke while the duchess inquired into their material needs. Bince her marriage Lady Dudley has spent a great deal of time and money helping children's hospitals and orphanages. She is a devoted mother to her own three young children, but her mother love is great enough to overflow for the benefit of any child who is sick, lame, blind or poor. The greater part of her pin-money is spent buying toys, books and flowers for chil- dren’s hospitals. The duke and duchess of Bedford are Y.ord and Lady Dudley's closest friends. Those who are in a position to know say that they have done much to encourage and inspire a new and better Irish policy which bids fair to place the name of Dudley on tho roll of Britain's great statesmen. Pack “Yes. But what of that?” ‘““Well, I done gwine to tell you all de whole trufe. I'se gwine to marry de hus- band ob de corpse., He 'low as I was de life ob de fun'L” —— Booker T. Washington, in his arraign- ment of those of whom he disapproves, is s0 sincere, and frank, and earnest as to be sometimes unconsciously amusing. The last time Mr. Washington was in New York he met an old friend, a strong fellow, begging. ‘“Well, Erastus, I'm surprised at this,™ said Mr. Washington with a frown. The other, confused, tried to explain. “You can’'t explain to me. You are big cnough and stroag enough to work, and here you are begging. You can’'t explain that,” said Mr. Washington. ‘““Well, Ah's got to live,” sald the other, humbly. “There's mnot the least nccessity fog that,” said Mr. Washington, severely,