New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-04
ENDING OR MENDINe,
AN AMERICAN vIEw-THE TRUE po,
PIE; AND THE TRUE REASON u,'N
THE HOUSE OF LORDS OUGHT ~ ~ M
REFORMED-THE AITEpN.r,r,

| 1hE f'ooSr VT LohDS OUGHT TO pp
REFoRMED-THE ALTERNATIVE
London July
ask myself sometimes whether mac,
cans really take serious interest in N. eF
life Of England-serious enough to induo. , W..
to master the elementary facts Thsra 4. a
example. the House Of Lords question Nv
cans are supposed to care something ahou, ..''
The American newspapers discuss II, On. t
them remarked the other day that II wont.
necessary TO create at least a hundred D."
order to bring the Upper House into line w,,s -
Lower If hundred Liberal Peers were Great.
they would simply be lost. If two hundred -
created the Liberal minority would he .,''
one-half the Conservative majority -
| hundred were created they and the preser, Ivy
porars guard Of Liberals would still be ou,vs,
/ every time II four hundred were create, ~,
/ preponderance OF voting power In the Hou.. .
Lords would still be Conservative II five r.
| dred were created the Liberals would attain .,
numerical superiority OF paper. The vote IA.
autumn on the Home Rule,-4l9 TO 4l-dn =,
show the full Conservative strength, which s,.
far from 500. Liberal and Radical politician. /.
England are perfectly aware that nothing T..
than five hundred would give them the cr,,s
OF the House Of Lords. Even then there v,a,
be the doubt whether the Peers created arn
erals would stay Liberals. They generauy A
not Yet here Is an American instructor as.
American people who evidently thinks one br
dred would be enough What is the value n,
opinion or an argument based upon such In,
ance?
The truth is, ! imagine, that there exlsus
America strong feeling. and most just r..
Ing against Legislature, or one branch II,
LEGISLATURE which is hereditary. The heredtar
principle IS vicious and IS indefensible In theor
whatever It may be in practice. The more r..
son for attacking IL with arguments which An
sound, and which exist upon knowledge ns,sal
IF BY reasonings which are fallaciOus, depentrf
upon inaccuracies. II does not much matter "a
the House OF Lords or House Of Commons what
il said or thought OF them, or OF either Of then
in America. But II does matter to Amer.cau
that their guides should not be blind guda
An editor IL not acting IN good faith TO his read
ers when he argues from prejudice instead q
from fact He is not bound 20 argue on such
subject at all 1t does not concern him or In
readers directly. But he IS bound 10 argue hor
estly II at all, and he cannot argue honestly L
he will not take the trouble 70 master the Abe
OF his subject.
Nothing. I will add has stood more in the VIZ
OF the anti House Of Lords movement In Eng
land than the recklessness of those who seek b
overthrow that ancient body II has been frn
the beginning and still IS. partisan moyemeut
II has been conducted with great violence q
language; sometimes with great indecency 4
language. The Radical has rallied at the HoM
OF Lords and he has not done much except nA
Argument Is not altogether In his line. except
perhaps that land Of argument which lie dram
from an Immediate Inconvenience. He cries og
against this II 1use because K VIII not % BIS
bidding. do not know that II is under any "
LEGATION to do his bidding. - institutional a.
thority has yet gone the length Of saying nG
an independent Legislative chamber is bound
vote at the tictation ~ one section Of one ~y
IN the state Yet that Is what the Radical nrs
tains lie might or might not maintain ~
proposition. He does assert II and act uponra
a matter OF practical politics. II that be haS
grievance he has no grievance, or none NJ
theoretical grievance; for which he does notn
twOpence.
n you think that the agitation In TINS coua"
against the House " Lords proceeds upon
reasoned and reasonable dislike of the heredia1
principle. why is II confined 20 the house
Lords? Why docs II not attack the Ta'0ns'
There IS an answer TO that question. oW ~
one which removes the whole subject iron Us
list Of those which are q be dealt Win GU pN
ciple. or a principle. The answer Is hA ~
House Of Lords is an obstacle % Raaca' ss~
lation and the Throne IL not But VICE. ~
have admitted that-hero II is Mt only acH''''
but ass.ried-you have given away your @N
II this question concerns AWeglo ans IL 00h'''"
them as "A matter OF principle what IL W
whether one or another item II The Ne"oA'"
Programme becomes law or not? | hoP "
study politics and foreign affairs more or'a''
than that. We are indeed interested IN 'ns
adjustment Of true principles ~ eo'e'"""
and 81 legislation the world over; ana III
overthrow Of those which are false. FIRST ans
the false we nut the hereditary pnn'V~
Whether a particular application % L nv"
less inconvenent or inexpedieni Is not III. -
We want 70 see the principle. AMI all app"'aN
OF Il. disappear We believe In goVerp"N
the people That is the Republican pHhcp"'
the Throne Is Just as Inconsistent with II o.
House Of Lords. 50 far as khgiaha
cerned we are. perhaps, niue SHANE"
devotion TO this principle. because 'ne 80
Of the Throne happens 10 be- woman VI -..,
lar purity and force Of character "nose
has been benencent We ought, as soou ~
licans 10 be the more anxious u see o..
The world Judges concretey win sV.' ~
ereign on the Throne ~ Westminster a"' :,
President In the chair az Washington ~ N,
apt 70 say the Throne Is prefer"o'e '.,,d
elected Chief Magistracy. Institutions "'' m
by results How do they work! Is nj.
majority ask not whether they are SUN" .n
sound In principle. II is the Laun yr,
care most for the principle. Wheh ''' ,,.-,.aa
peror OF Brazil paid his visit to 'ic'o' 49,.
was taking his leave. the poet sau !" 9,
81 should be sorry II there were "''"'
perors like you 49,, Hrsh
The astonished monarch asked why anu .,a,.
who. after ALL had In him something u
tier. replied ,,, mN
Because the universal Republic "0''
much longer IN coming" ,,,vM
Nothing hereditary in government Ian will
true doctrine-a doctrine which no An.' Itch r.
danny Rut I'm his sympathy with the H ~