Disraeli Monday was the fiftieth anniversary of Lord Beacons- field's
death. He would have been flattered at the widespread attention which the event received, following the appearance in recent years of much biographical literature, including the works of Mr. Buckle and M. Maurois, and Lord Zetland's edition of the old statesman's letters to two women friends. Whether we like him or not, Disraeli was a vital force in English politics, and he left a tradition which, especially on the social side, is still potent. It required real courage and true insight in a young Conservative politician ninety years ago to draw attention to the condition of the people, and to picture the sufferings of the working classes as vividly as Disraeli did in Coningsby and Sybil. For that alone he deserves to be remembered with respect, apart from his more spectacular achievements.
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