The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-01-04
REACHES
POLITICAL CRISIS
Developments of Last Few Days Show
Most Rapidly Approaches cri-
sis in Three Quarters
of Century.
HOUSE OF LORDS FATE
1t is at Stake and Indications Point
That the Days of This Leg
slative Body Are
Are Numbered.
[By Charles P. Stewart, European
manager United Press Asso-
cations

lBy Charles P. Stewart. European
manager United Press Asso.
cations
LONDON, Jan. 4.-Political devel-
opments of the last few days have
shown conclusively that England is
rapidly approaching the most startling
crisis it has known in three quarters
of a century. The existence of the
house of lords is at stake. No such
constitutional issue has been raised in
Great Britain since 1882 when the
right of franchise, previously based
strictly on property qualifications, was
made practically universal.
The lords have been attacked before
but never before seriously. 1t looks
now as if their years-if not their days
as a legislative body are numbered
Ending the old English system of
hereditary law making will involve
practical reconstruction of the coun-
try's constitution. Nine out of ten
Englishmen have long regarded the
peers as foolish anarchronism. Bound
as the nation is to precedent, however,
it has been hard to inaugurate a Wig
orous movement for reform. At last
the liberals-the dominant British
political party-have declared they
will never rest until some form of
elective upper house of parliament is
substituted for the present hereditary
one. For three years the liberals have
been in office with an Overwhelming
majority in the house of commons.
Allowing for all possible combinations
against them, they have approximately
one hundred on any party issue. But
despite their numerical superiority
they have been practically impotent
The peers have thwarted them at ev.
cry turn.
The two houses are far from bear
ing towards one another the relation
that exists between the two branches
of the U. S. congress. Only the com
mons are representative of the PEG
pie. The lords represent nothing be
yond the narrow interests of the Brit
ish aristocracy and moneyed classes
The liberals view is that body sc
constituted should yield to the plain
/ ly expressed wishes of the masses
even though they may sometimes be
| called on to Law aside their own polit
/ ical, personal and financial prejudices
! The nobility hold nearly one-tenth o.
! the total land area of rural England
! 1t iss estimated that these holdings
/ thrown open to cultivation, would sup
port England's hundreds of thousands
of unemployed. Legislation along this
line has been suggested. The lords
only laughed at the idea. They keel
the land strictly preserved for hunt
ing purposes. 1t is absolutely nor
productive.
The licensing bill passed the elective
commons by nearly 800 majority with
out even the Formally of debate the
lords rejected the measure in caucus
By what the liberals say is more thar
a coincidence 1870 of the 600 odd peers
own stocks in breweries. There was
not enough of them to constitute ma
iority but their influenoe was sufficien
to control one. In America either o
the great parties may hope to contro
j both branches of congress. In Eng
land only the conservative or llberai
/ The lords are always conservative.
When the conservatives control thu
/ administra ton the peers pass all thei
/ bills without discussion. II liberia
] government is in power they auto
matically reject every important meas
/ ure submitted to them. When the lib
/ eral party last came into power 1t dlt
] so under a distinct mandate from thu
! people to accomplish three things: II
! revise Scottish landlordism.
| To place their common school edu
/ cation upon something like moderi
| basis.
| To curb the liquor interests whicl
j have attained SO dangerous politica
/ power in England
! The Scottish landlords bill passed
! the commons. went up to the lords
was mutilated SO as to be wholly in
! operative, returned to the lower mouse
/ and was dropped as useless in its new
/ form.
Educational bill was laboriousl
! worked into satisfactory shape an
was about to be passed by the con-
mons, when so plain an intimation wa
received from the church of Englan
! element in the upper branch that
too, would be rejected as to make fun
! Their action upon it waste of time
So it was dropped.
The licensing bill defeat was tn
last straw.
The members of the liberal cabine
and the leaders of their party in tn
house of commons talked the situs
ton over made up their minds tina
either the house of lords must b