New-York tribune., 1908-12-13
A WAR OF THE HOUSES
THE LIBER4L CAMPAIGN.
Prcmier. .Asquith's Plan to Force
Fight scith Lords.
,e.s-,., hv French cable TO The Tribune,
i0ieei0' -o,e ~ TIE Tribune Association

hx
rondon. Dec. 12.-The Llnerai IN
IN for a fight with the LORDS anu Iobn
.-.-rgbea in Office to fight in its own way -
- 80 other ministers have been boastiiis
.,.o. ,rex would hold their ground until l'l- -
- . gon,,lete their work This inpiieu '''
...,-,,,s-,oe Of the policy of passing contentious
measures which the Lords would Ne'o-
7,,r,tial section Of the party followers -,
Commons has questioned the eNpeuiehoS u
,actics and has favored immediate olss"iN
: -. ,-,,,,5 that the Liberals would return
with a reduced majority and CONTINUE -
,,,,eraas they would he utterly routed shopio
- ,,-a5. TOO long. Members signing Sir John
4,-var-s memorial shared this opinion and the
leading Liberal journals. uniting IN proclaliline
:, sought to force the Prime Minister'S haho-
NJ Aso7,ith has not surrendered the leader-
shin 70 irresponsible groups Of members oI eu'
TORS Like man OF force. he remains III com
-oan6 and rallies the party around him Nhhe
his sreecr a. the National Liberal Club did not
satisfy all his followers it convinced them tild'
.hev had a leader Of infexiele Will
What is now clear is.that there will be no gen
eral election next year unless the Lords throw
ont scgressively the Radical budget This they
can do if they do not attempt 10 amend IT. Ihey
have not done II for over sixty years, but theF
have the constitutional right TO take TINS eA-
irene action and force an appeal to the country
bringing in sriff reform if the country supports
.her7. hut taking the risks Of a complete defeat,
with an inevitable reduction in their own lesis-
1srive privileges MI Asquith has not fore
shadozved this contingency. but has ccntented
himself with brushing aside the pretension OF
the Lords TO challenge an appeal TO the country
on the licensing hill and with concentrating at
tertion on the budget as the principal work of
the next session. If this be based on taxation
Of land values, proposals for the extension of
social reforms and fresh leries the liquor
traffic and millionares, il may he radical enough
70 bring on the crisis. Nj Asquith. in place Of
plouEhinE the sands and filing up the cup, gives
Liberalism new phase with the veto OF the
Lords as the dominating issue in politics, and
supports il by the unanswerable argument that
z government Of the people is impossible when
4 defeated Opposition with a feeble minority in
TIE Commons is able TO keep in operation educa-
tion and licensing laws which the general cleo
torate has condemned.
The fighting viii he forced on the budget and
sham battles on highly contentious measures
which the Lords can reject with impunity will
be discontinued. The session of Parliament now
promises 10 drag cut without a serious conflict
The port Of London bill seems safe and while
the miners eight hours bill may be amended the
Lords are not likely TO reject it and thereby
challenge the interests of labor The govern
nent In spite Of the loss Of its two main meas
Ures. viii have a creditable record of Industry
for the year. The autumn session has been most
eKhausting and is Mt likely tC be repeated II,
the present Parliament r.