Mr. Asquith and Sir Henry Fowler both addressed a great
public meeting at Bilston on Thursday. We cannot find space to deal with their speeches at length, but both spoke with the utmost devotion and enthusiasm of Lord Rosebery and his speech. The attitude of both statesmen towards Lord Rosebery was indeed unmistakably that of followers towards a leader. And very significantly neither speaker seems to have alluded to Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, their nominal chief. But though the great lieutenants may make such overtures of deposition, they will not get rid of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman unless the would-be leader himself takes some real and definite action directed to making himself lealler. Will Lord Rosebery do so? That he can do so, though it would be most disagreeable work, is is plain. If he does, he will cause a terrible commotion, but he will succeed. If, on the other hand, he does nothing but talk, he will show once again the truth of the proverb: "A bird of paradise is not an eagle."
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