The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-04-04

j he t'nlCaSO SUNDAY tAalnItler ol IL
recent date contained tho following
relative to the sale OF British titles:
Tho fight by the labor members OF
the House of Commons, supported by
the Radical Liberals. for the cNtinc-
tion Of tho House of Peers las taken
u new and rcfrcshinsly American form
Of campaign.
Tho Peers arc accused not only OF be-
ing useless and rcactiouary, but tho
charge is deliberately made that tho
Upper Chamber is founded on and per-
pctuatcd by sraft-srart OF the worst
and most unbushing character.
Icnslishlncn moralizc ponderousy on
the dishonesty OF United States pub
lie life, and the alleged selling of
titles which goes OH in Continental
Europe. AS Il fact, the vast majority
of modern English pceragcs arc bought
rnbl lushngly, nor is there any state
in Europe where parvenus and spec
nlators can so easily become ennobled
Today Il rich Englishman, quite ir
respective of his character or talents,
can buy a pceragc almost rs easily as
he can buy Il castle and at almost AS
spectacle method is to give {, large
sun, to Charity" But this method is
not infalliblc
The one infalliblc way is to buy
your pccrngc from a great political
party. In other words. to subscribe
To the party fund. exactly as many
United States corporations for other
corrupt equivalents subscribe to par
ty funds.
NO glory is gained by giving $50,
600 to a secret fund. A return must
be cxactcd in some other way, and, in
consideration. If the title hunter is
rich and generous to the party. he
becomes IL peer: and hcnceforWl-d he
and his descendants gain the "divino
right of sitting in Il GiIdcd chamber,
rcigning over the nation as kinglcts,
and rejecting contcmptuously every
measure of reform which attacks his
pocket or his privileges.
Arthur B. Markham, a well known
member of Parliament, estimates that
$4,000 is the average price paid for
u pecragc. But parties temporarily
hard up for money sell peeragcs for
considerably less.
When the last Conservative govern
it suddenly needed n large sum. Its
traditional supporters had fallen away.
The sum needed was subscribed by Il
g.oup Of wealthy manufacturers who
were paid twice over: Firstly, they
were given titles: secondly, us peers
they gained the authority necessary for
running the protectionist cause. from
which their pockets stood to profit.
AS the really blue -blooded peer sci :
uOln dlLcHuS tIlc f1OuSc Ol LOTOS, ana
when he does shows his respect for it
by snoring audibly. it is the parvenus
who arc most active and influential
In destroying the reform measures
passed by the House of Commons.
The notorious T. r. Hooley bought a
baronetcy by bribing tho Conserva-
tive party with s25o,0oo, and not until
thc late Queen Victoria. with her own
hand erased his name from the "Hon-
ors List" was his claim for return OF
the purchase money allowed.
The late Lord Salisbury retired from
Office because he could not resist tho
pressure cxerted by his party in favor
of granting a peeragc, duly paid for
| to Il shady London financer.
During the last two years OF Mr.
Balfour's administration" said Hugh
Cecil Lea, a prominent member OF
Parliament, "baronetcies were being
sold about the city for from $4,000 to
sa5o,ooo."