Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26

this speech are only those that an i'm
patient public opinion has clamored loudly
Tor. The cabinet Is a Heterogeneous collec-
ton OF vested interests. The prime min
lister, however we'll iptentioned, is like a
trick cyclist riding cleverly and carefully
between obstacles. Each special interest
jealously guards it's estate.
Chief Duty to Waste Time,
1.-THE opposition conceives its chief duty
to be to waste the time of the government
and to put the brake on an already creep
ing hearse. A bill proposing, say, some
urgent reform has to brave the perilous
process of first and secord readings; to
subject itself to the vivisecting knife OF
hostile persons, and II 1t survives in a
condition ever so emaciated the ~asphyxiat-
ing atmosphere OF the House OF Lords, It
comes back to mock the condition II was
designed to alleviate.
THE hours of the House are fixed be-
tween the ridiculous times of $3.50 and 1880.
This is a sop to the legal and commercial
members. once safely within the cham
Der, the member dries his tears of sym
pathetic anguish, stills the heart that
beats during the election for human suf-
fering, carefully brushes his passionate
pledges and lays them tenderly on the
shelf till the next election.
II remember leaving the house one even
ing in company with n bluff and hearty
Liberal member. Stopping at the outer
gate and selling my arm cordially, he
gazed with reverential awe at the light
burning in the house. Still that light
burns he said, TREMENDOUSLY, the House
works l could not restrain a smile of
precocious cynicism as l thought of the
work. The days routine has a sickening
monotony. Precious time in which earn
est, inspired men should be forging gener-
out legislation for the people, is wantonly
wasted. One yearns for a strong north
wind OF realism to sweep through the
musty chamber, or that some God might
touch their vision with a sense of fitness
and proportion. We have pleaded in vain
for a day to consider feeding the starving
school children. But the prime minister,
with the utmost urbanity, replies hat
the House is too busy with other Import
ant business. A little time elapses, and
the House has an all-night sitting to dis
cuss and pass the deceased wife's sisters
bill. AS a cynical Liberal friend observed
to me in the small hours Of the morning,
the only good suggestion OF the bill is
that there is a deceased wife.
This painful absence of right perspect-
i've on the part of any government. al.
leging itself to have a serious human pur-
pose, is depressing to the point of pessim-
ism.
No Relation to Britishers,
THE first impression Of an earnest MEM
Der is one OF hopelessness and futility.
There seems to be no imaginable relation
between this conventional and formal as
sembly OF phlegmatic and ceremonious
Britishers, sleek and well fed, and the
great drab mass OF humanity who grope
in the mean streets Of the great cities.
These go~Od-humored and complacent per-
sons are not 10 blame for their apathy.
They have never lived near enough TO the
heart Of humanity 10 feel its beat. To
them the words hunger. poverty, destitu-
ton, are abstract and academic phrases
with no real meaning. They have never
stared against the black. black wall Of
hopelessness. What do they know. what
can they know Of the haunting spectre
that dogs every step Of the luckless
worker?
with consumma irony we call our
system OF government democratic. II q
referendum were taken tomorrow on tn,
question Of a substantial old age pension
for all over 90. on the compulsory state