Somehow or other,
he is least effective when he is most serious. His speech on Uganda, for
instance, was admirably put together, and chock full of facts, sound in
argument, and in its seriousness quite equal to the magnitude of the
issues which it raised. But no man is allowed to play "out of his
part"--as the German phrase goes. Labby has accustomed the House to
expect amusement from him, and it will not be satisfied unless he gives
it. When, therefore, he does make a serious speech, the House insists on
considering it dull, and rarely lends to him its attentive and serious
ear.
[Sidenote: Which is the buffoon?]
Great and yet fatal is the power of oratory. In the course of this same
night's debate, Mr. Chamberlain also made a speech. During portions of
it he delighted the House, and it was extremely effective as a party
speech. In the course of his observations, Mr. Chamberlain, alluding to
some jokelet of Labby, declared that a great question like Uganda should
not be treated in a spirit of "buffoonery." That observation was rude,
and scarcely Parliamentary. But that is not the point--nobody expects
gentlemanly feeling or speech from Mr.
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