The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-09-21
THE BACKWOODsERs
Fate Of English Budget in the Hands
Of Country Lords
(By T. p. O'Connor.)

(Dy J.. r. OCOnQOr.)
London. Sept. 21.-"The gossips
have had for the last few weeks the
time of their lives. Every week, every
day. and every hour has given new
material for new and futile conIec-
ture. The chief cause of this continu-
ed uncertainty is the absolute ignor-
ance of what will be done by q
strange new factor for the first time.
This is the dim battalions, unknown
to most of their countrymen, who
form the majority of the house of
Lords and who were nicknamed by
Lloyd-George, happily. the back
woodsmen.
"The backwoodsmen will decide;
who can aswed for the backswoods-
men, not Mr.. Balfour, and not Mr..
Lansdowne. They have secuted the
advice of these leaders several times
recently, notably in the debate initial
ed by Lord Roberts in favor of con-
scription. Lord Lansdownes oppose
ton to conscription would have been
defeated by the backwoodsmen If he
had not been helped in the division by
the Liberal peers.
"The one decisive factor with the
peers will be the consideration Of
their skins. Either party will think
it safe or dangerous to reject the
budget. If safe, they will do so, II
dangerous, they will not. All that can
be, therefore, done at this moment is
to study the different currents Of the
influence which is redirected to back
woodsmen.
Roseberry's Effort of Little Avail.
Curious proof of the insignificance
to which Lord Rosebery has sunk was
the effect of his speech. 1t was ex-
pected to sound the death knell to the
budget, but has, if anything, increas-
ed the expectation that it will pass
into law. AS everybody expected
who knows his temperament. Rose
berry shrank from decisive and Bold
words. Similarly Asquith's speech
leaves the situation where it was.
The final sentence, in which. bid
ding defiance to the peers. Asquith
took his place by the side of Lloyd
George and Winston Churchill. who
represent the fighting section of the
cabinet, will silence the timid section
OF the ministers and Liberals who.
from the fear of losing their seats or
salaries, deprecate any attempt to
force the lords into such a revolu-
tionary course as the rejection of the
budget. But even so resonant a def
ance has uncertain results.
THE backwoodsmen have vet to saw
whether the majority will be friehten-
ed into surrender or angered into
revolt. To sum up, the situation re-
mains where 1t has for several weeks.
with perhaps a bigger expectation
thatthat the budget will be accented
Ireland May Revolt.
THE Birrell land bill left the house
Of commons under lowering skies. the
Tories voting against the third read
ing and vehemently criticising most
of it's details. This will make it prob-
able that the house of lords will maui
the bill so seriously that the Irish mar
ty will have to reject 1t. IF the
Lords insist on the mutilation. there
is prospect of disturbance amounts
ing almost to civil war in ireland dur
ing the winter. This prospect NAV
frighten the lords, but If 1t does not
the whole future becomes cloudy and
perilous and may lead to any kind Of
development. There may be a fall Of
the Liberals and q rise of the Tories-
1t may be coercion or 1t may be home
rule. Condon's triumphant progress
through Ireland continues and next
week an equally enthusiastic recep-
tion will follow in the chief Enelish
and Scotch towns from the Irish mas
ses there"