Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 October 1891 — DEATH OF MR. SMITH [ARTICLE]

DEATH OF MR. SMITH

“Stick Close to Your Desk and Never Go to Sea, And You May He a Ruler of the Queen’s Navee”—Sketch of His Life. A London cable of the 7th says: The Rt. Hon. William Henry Smith. First Lord of the Treasury. Wai den of tho Cinque Ports, and the Government leader of the House of Commons, who had been -ill for some time past, suddenly suffered a relapse on the 6th and died in the afternoon. The Rt. Hon. William Henry Smith,son of Mr. H. W. Smith, of the Strand and Bournemouth, Hampshire, bookseller, publisher and news agent, was born in Duke street, Grosvenor square, London, June 24, 1825. Ac was educated at the grammer school of Tavistock, and became in due course a partner of the well-known firm in the Strand. Regarding his antecedents, the Rt. Hon, W. H. Smith was perhaps the most successful English public man of to-day. His father kept a small news stand in an obscure and disreputable street, but rose in the world by establishing a newspaper booth ata railroad station, which was the beginning of a business now worth $250,090 a year. Mr. Smith is popularly reputed to hav left a fortune of about $10,000,000. Wm. 11. Smith is an instance of rare political fidelity. He was Secretary of the Navy, dr First Lord of the Admiralty, as the post is in England. He was one of Disraeli’s discoveries, and his administration was about the only one that reflected credit upon that Ministry. His rise was a surprise, and a not altogether agreeable one, to the high cast members of the Tory party. He began life as a news vender. His fine business abilities soon made much of a narrow opening. At the time of his death he controlled all sale of newspapers and periodicals on every railway in tho British isles. He controlled the circulation of all the great journals to some extent, and hence was a power. In July, 1865, he unsuccessfully contested Westminister in the Conservative interest, but his candidature was renewed with success in November, 1863, when he defeated Mr. John Stuart Mill. In 1874 his popularity was such that lie ran ahead of all his fellows, and was returned at the head of tho poll. Upon his apppointment as Secretary of War it became necessary that ho should bo re-elected, and there were rumors that the Liberals would leave no stone unturned to defeat him. When, however, the election did take place, Juno 29,1885. lie was returned without opposition. In 1874 he was made Financial Secretary of the Treasury, serving in that capacity until August 8, 1879, when he was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty and a Cabinet minister. This promotion gave rise to the fanciful conceit of Sir Joseph Porter, K. C. 8., in Gilbert and Sullivan’s opera of “Pinafore.” of which the couplet, “Stick close to your desk aud never go to sea, And ypu may bo the ruler of the Queen’s navee, ’ directly applies to William Henry Smith. In this position he succeeded the late Mr. Ward Hunt. He adored Beaconsfield and was a tower of strength to that eccentric statesman. His riches were counted on in every close constituency to cany tlie minIstry through, and until the tidal wave came in 1880 he rarely failed to pull his partisans through. Like most English members he was a poor speaker. There was considerable surprise manifested when Disraeli retired that ho didn’t send Smith up to the Lords as a peer. He has held the following appointments: Financial Secretary to the Treasury, 1874-7; First Lord of the Admiralty, 1877-80: Secretary for War.’ 1835. On the rest gnation of Lord Randolph Churchill Mr. Smith vacated, the War Office and assumed the leadership of the House of Commons as First Lord of the Treasury. As a mark of her especial favor and as a reward for his services Her Majesty conferred upon Mr. Smith the office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. At a reccnJhneeting of ex-soldiers held at Indianapolis to consider a plan to erect a monument to Gov. Oliver P. Morton, in the southwestern part of tho State House grounds, resolutions eulogistic of Morton and favoring the plan were adopted, and a call issued requesting expressions of opinion. Communications may be addressed to O. D. secretary of the committee.

Seth Coffman, a dairyman near New Albany, was attacked by a vicious bull and.dangerously gored. Cigarette manufacturers say there are more cigarettes sold in Texas than in any other two States in the Union. In San Antonio one retail firm alone has a standing order for 100,000 cigarettes a week, and this is frequently doubled. Fifteen bunthousand cigarettes of one brand alone are sold in San Antonio every month in tho year, and the total sales of cigarettes amount to about 2,000,000 a month. The cigarette smoking of the Mexicans in the city is not included in this estimate, because they buy tobacco and paper . and make their own cigarettes. Emil Paffrath, a Texas farmer was fined SSO by the Recorder at San Antonio a few days ago for stealing water from ari irrigating ditch belonging to the county. The farmer frankly admitted the offence and cheerfully paid the fine, remarking that he just had to have water to save his vegetable crop, and the Lord had sent no rain. He told the Recorder he considered it a good stroke of business, because the violation of the ditch ordinance was wortu $l5O to him in that Instance and M was still SIOO ahead of the court.