MR. E. R. COOK AND MR. GOSCHEN.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
Sin,—An article in the Spectator of November 17th, referring
to a speech which I delivered at Swindon on October 9th, accuses me of "an unworthy attempt to injure a statesman" (younger than Mr. Gladstone) "in his honour," Mr. Goschen clearly being the statesman indicated. I regret I did not see the article in time to ask you to insert a reply last week ; but I trust you will do me the justice to allow me to state that what I said had no reference whatever to the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer. The whole passage, which is manifestly much con- densed, as reported in the North Wilts Herald of October 12th reads :— "During the past year there had also been a marked develop- ment of bitterness against Mr. Gladstone on the part of former colleagues, men who had worked with him in the same Cabinet, knew how disinterested he was, and that he was the Chancellor of the Exchequer for many years ; and if he had chosen to play with Jew financiers, as other Chancellors of the Exchequer had done, and speculate as to produce, &c., he might have been a millionaire. They knew that, if there was one thing which Mr. Gladstone despised, it was making money out of his political position, and yet they did not hesitate to abuse him. Surely their cause must be a bad one, when they descended to such things as that to uphold it."
From this it will be seen that I was commenting upon the frequent and disgraceful attacks upon Mr. Gladstone as
seeking office for pecuniary advantage—attacks which I am sure the Spectator deprecates as much as I—and I pointed out that, had Mr. Gladstone been willing to make money out of his political position, and been base enough to do so, he had bad opportunities for many years, when Chancellor of the
Exchequer, of speculating in articles the value of which would be effected by changes in his Budgets. That such has been done, through agents, in times gone by is well known ; and while referring to that fact, it occurred to me that a Tory Government had not so long ago raised a large loan, through a well-known financial house, at a price considerably above that at which the large banks would have supplied it, to the great advantage of the house at the expense of the public. I unreservedly affirm that no thought of Mr. Goschen entered my mind ; indeed, I have always thought that the attacks made on that gentleman based upon his former business connections, were unfounded and un- fair. I regret that the word "Jew," used as an adjec- tive, escaped me. I object generally to reproaching any persons with circumstances, such as birth, over which they have no control, and especially do I object to the use of the word " Jew " in that sense. The splendid genius with which so many members of the Jewish race are endowed, and the magnificent services which Jews have rendered to the world in every branch of intellectual work, should prohibit such an application of the word ; and I am sorry that, in the warmth of my indignation at the monstrous attacks on my great leader, I myself did what I have often condemned in others.
I fear your contributor was not wholly free from a partisan animtu3, for he not only attributed a meaning to my words which I am sure no one who heard them even suspected, but in the article—which was upon County Councils, though the attack on me was dragged into it—my friend Mr. G. P. Fuller, the well-known and widely respected Member for the Westbury Division of Wiltshire, is referred to as "a gentleman of the name of Fuller."—I am, Sir, &c.,
Reform Club, November 27th. EDWARD RIDER COOK.
[We really never heard of the absurd and malignant attacks on Mr. Gladstone to which Mr. Cook alludes. We are very glad that we misunderstood Mr. Cook; but if he had taken pains to lay himself open to misunderstanding, he could hardly have succeeded better. We did not suppose, from what Mr. Fuller said of the duty of turning the elections for County Councils into party affairs, that he could possibly have been a public man in high esteem.—En. Spectator.]
Previous page
