New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-25
4" LIN EH0USING"
Vagaries of Pmtisanship
Land Reform Popular.
London. october 13.

1
Gracchi mastered the art OF democratic
/ pleading in their appeals to the Roman
| populace; Robespierre and Marat prac-
| tised It during the French Revolution;
Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, in his halcyon
| neriod of radicalism, revived 1t in MS
| famous Ransom" speeches, and the
| Chancellor of the Exchequer has intro
| duced II with tremendous effect at Lime
house and Newcastle.
| IF his enemies are to be believed. he has
shaken off the dignity of his office ana
| spoken like a street corner demagogue'
shamelessly setting class against Glass;
| eIorving like a truculent freebooter IN
| pilIage and spoils, batting the dukes as
| organized blackmailers enriched at pubic
expense, degrading British electors TO the
! level of tramps. with eyes fixed upon
| clotheslines and hen roosts, and proclaim
| ing a golden period when the rich are to
be- taxed for the benefit of the poor. His
own partisans being witnesses. he has
| condemned with matchleSs irony the
iniduities Of titled IandhOlders, upheld
with unanswerable elOquence the justice
Of distributing taxation in accordance
with capacity for bearing the weight.
and produced in a thoroughly demo-
cratic system of finance rare and re-
freshing fruit for the parched lips Of the
multitude, who have been treading the
dusty road through the dark ages and
are now emerging into the light" In
the vagaries Of partisanship now at
white heat the rights and wrongs Of
''Limehousing'' are as far apart as
heaven and earth.
Without attempting to strike a ball
ance between the extremes of super
heated opinion. the impartial Outsider-a
distinction I can properly claim since, if
1 were an Englishman, would want to
vote against both parties on certain
questions and in favor of each on other
points-will be content with a few safe
concentrations. The first relates to the
nature of "Limehousing-" 1t is an eff
fective form of electioneering The Lib
eral government, after being defeated
more or less disastrously in by-elections
for the space of three years. introduced
a democratic budget with the taxation Of
land as the most conspicuous feature. 1t
was coolly received at the outset, and it
became necessary for the party man
ayers to organize mass meetings
throughout the kingdom and to explain
it in detail
The Chancellor beat the drum so vio-
lcntly at LimehOuse as to command the
attention of the democratic electorate.
Working people with one accord be-
gan to talk about the budget over
their lunch pals. Land reform be-
came at once a question Of supreme
Importance. The government found
itself in possession OF a popular issue
On which to appeal to the country,
and its prospects frightened steadily as
the risks of the rejection of the budget
increased and the time honored right of
the Commons TO control taxation was
challenged. In these circumstances the
Chancellor has visited Newcastle and
given another exhibition of "I,imehous-
ing" He wants the Lords to throw out
the budget, and consequently makes a
provocative, defiant speech. He has
found out how to interest the masses.
and accordingly attacks the dukes with
corrosive sarcasm and denounces land
holders who have been enriched at the
expense Of ratepayers and have done.
nothing in return. It is sheer cleo
pioneering, neither dignified nor high
minded, but practical and effective.
1t is Indeed, rough campaigning. in
which no quarter IS asked and no mercy
IS shown. Mr.. Lloyd-George has been
caricatured as a socialistic Jack Cade
proclaiming no-rent manifesto. pIot-
ting against capital and industries, MAX
ing war on civilized society and insti-
eating a revolution without parallel in
the modern world.
Reprisals have been invited bv mar
tisan exaggeration and vaporina and
the Chancellor is a, strenuous fighter
He has begun by ridiculing the titled
land holders, because he has ascer-
tanned that there is no better snort for
the artisan masses. He has talked con
temptuously of 'the great sIumD In
dukes. has described the upkeep of ona
OF them as equal to the maintenance of
two Dreadnoughts, and has Knocked tbor,
as scoiding like omnibus drivers when
the budget cart has knocked a little op
the gilt off their old stagecoach. He has
arraigned the landed class for amassiny
wealth at the expense of ratepavers and
pilloried the exasperated Lords as the
real revolutionists for conspiring against
the constitutional rights of the Com
mons. He has fairly exuIted over exac-
tons wrung from the rich by super-
taxes and the relentless grip of the Dsad
Hand.
With sweeping gesture and in sbrilks+
tones he has asked who has nv
dalned that few shall hold the land as
pleasure ground and a pero,isito
against nation of trespassers; WHY che
rich man should have choice of na1acos
ana receive every hour of the dav mora
than the poor man can earn in the course
OF year; and how it happens that five
hundred unemployed peers arrogate 70
themselves the right of overriding Tho
Judgment of the toiling millions With
his back TO the wall the Chancellor hits
out like an angry gladiator, and his on
slaught is not to be wondered at whom
ne has been persistently held up to exc
Grafton as demagogue. farceur. a So
cialiSt and a thievish revOlutionist