The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-12-07
HOW 1T WORKS.

HOW 1T WORKS.
Many Americans have difficulty
about understanding why the British
people stick to a monarchical form of
government instead of adopting re-
publican system similar to ours. The
fact is that for many sane purposes
! the British system is more completely
and quickly responsive to the will Of
| the people than is our own. \ short
editorial article in the Detroit News
explains this clearly in outlining what
will follow the action Of the house OF
lcrds i'm refusing to approve the bud
get adopted by the house of commons.
/, IS here given:
Ey turning down the budget by a
vote of $50 to IS the British house Of
lords has put tie issue up 10 the peo-
pic.
Now the world will have another of
those admirable demonstrations of
close and quick touch between the
government ana the people rho people
of Great Britain have do effects of
the initiative, referendum and recall
by consent of their government
Members of parliament. when i'm
doubt as to the minds of the majority
of their constituents, resign and let the
people decide again whether they shall
be continued in office or replaced by
representatives of the opposing Gle
ment. Thus the people have direct
action on all questions of great mo-
a ,.lf
although elected for long terms, agree
that they are only entitled to the Of
flee as long as they are representing
the will Of the majority Of their con
stituents.
Elections will be quickly called and
as promptly effected while parliament
takes a short recess Within "A per-
iod of six weeks or two months par
lament which is hot from the hands
OF the people viii take up again the
discussion of the budget with perfect
assurance that the members know just
how the majority of the people of the
United Kingdom stand. e.
In the United States we would have
TO wait until the regular congressional
elections. BY that time all manner
OF new issues might be trumped up to
create diversion Of the public atten-
ton. Many new congressman would
be elected, but none OF them would
take their seats until fully a year
had passed. II the speaker of the
house and his committees were hostile
to the reform measure. they might
prevent new bill from coming be-
fore congress for an indefinite period
Yet, ours we claim, is a government Of
the people, for the people and by the
people while the British are clinging
TO what we term an effete monarchical
system.
From this it will be seen that in
some respects and these very impor-
tant the British system is actually
more democratic than ours. The
government in that country is more
Immediately in touch with popular SEN
timent and more dependent on IL. as
will Doe shown by the course of things
there following the dissolution OF the
present parliament. To be sure. there
is "a king at the head Of the British
government, but about all he is of
use for in our day is TO set the fash
ions, as he has really no power to be
compared with that welded by a
president Of the United States.
This explains why the British peo-
pie are content to put up with a form
of government ostensibly monarchlcal
In practical operation it is actually
more republican than our republican
system, save where the privileges of
the peers as a legislative body inter-
fcres, as in the case OF the budget TO
which the house of lords refused APP
prevail.