An attempt is being made to depreciate Lord Salisbury's Aciministration
by drawing attention to the fact that certain posts are held by members of the Premier's family. If, how- ever, the facts are fairly examined, we do not believe that it can honestly be said that the men named are in office because they are connected with Lord Salisbury, and not because of their personal fitness. That Mr. Balfour is not First Lord of the Treasury because he is the nephew of the Prime Minister, will be of course admitted. Mr. Gerald Balfour is, again, a man whose position in the House and natural abilities well qualify him for office. Lord Selborne, no doubt, is Lord Salisbury's son-in-law, but it would be utterly absurd to say that he owed his advancement to that fact. He was Liberal Unionist Whip for several years, and worked loyally and well for his party, enjoying the confidence of Mr. Cham- berlain. What more natural, than that Mr. Chamberlain should like to have him as Under-Secretary for the Colonies ? The truth is, that if the men named had been left out of the Ministry, it could only have been from an inverted nepotism, —a vice almost as dangerous to the public service as the direct variety. It is to be feared, indeed, that a very excel- lent and able servant of the public, Mr. J. W. Lowther, is going to be sacrificed to inverted nepotism,—excluded because he happens to have married a niece of the Premier.
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