The Detroit times., 1910-12-15


obeyed by the new
house of commons which will meet
in January.
The fact that there would be gen
oral election TO decide the fate OF
the historic and ancient upper cham
! Der of the british parliament was not
! known until Nov IA. Within Ave
weeks after that date the last menr
Der OF the new parliament Will have
been elected Within six weeks from
| the time of the last election the new
parliament will be in session ready
| 10 carry out the expressed Will OF he
| electors.
A hundred years ago, fifty years
ago, ten years ago five years ago,
one year ago--anybody in America
might have known that there would
| be n congressional election in the
| United States in the autumn of 1910.
Any time in the past forty years
every body knew that election would
| take place on the first Tuesday after
| the first Monday in November
True to the course OF the calendar,
the constitutional machinery and the
statutory enactments OF the United
| States government brought about
| that election in due time. No con-
stitutional issue was involved. the
election was not called to decide any
| particular question, IL was held be-
cause the time had come TO hold an
| election Ii is true that there were
| several more or less sharply defined
national issues, and the result was
that the people generally recalled
| from the Republican party its man
date OF power. and entrusted the
Democratic party with a majority in
the house of representatives. n
session of congress began in Wash
! ington last week. But the representa-
tives elected last November are not
| there. Those members now sitting
/ in Washington were elected on the
! first Tuesday after the first Monday
| in November, 1908. Next December,
full twelve months hence. the rep
| resentatives in congress elected by
! the people last November will assem-
| bic in Washington for the first time.
In the campaign in England the
! Liberal leaders declared emphatical-
| " that If they were returned TO pow
er they would in the session begin
ming in january, insist that the honse
of lords obey at once and forthwith
the command OF the people to abro-
gate forever its rights and powers as
a coordinate branch OF the legisla-
ture.
When the American house OF rep
resentatives. elected last November,
meets next December. 1t must reckon
with a senate of contrary political
complexion, coordinate In every leg
| islative power except the Initiation
| of financial measures, and that SEN
| ate will not for one instant feel that
! il is obligated in the slightest TO obey
the political mandate OF the last con-
gressional election.
These things are set down by way
of showing the striking differences
between the constitution OF Great
Britain and the constitution OF the
United States OF America. The one
is unwritten and flexible. The other
ia written and in1exible. The one
not only permits, but encourages, the
! Immediate obedience OF the govern
ing power to the latest expression OF
the will OF the voters. The other in
terposes an elaborate system or
checks and balances between the pre-
sumably hasty and hotheaded voter
and the deliberate and celebrating
legislator
The British constitution is an UNI
written and intangible collection o.
working agreements and compromises
crystalized into political con-
science. The American constitution
is n written and tangible compilation
/ of a series of guarantees designed TO
protect. each from the other, the FED.
eral and the state governments. and
furthermore to temper Democracy
with discretion and to hamper the
aristocracy with restrictions.
The British constitution can be,
and often is. amended in material
fashion by an election, by an agree
ment between the two houses OF par
lament. or, even, by an agreement
between the leaders OF the two parties
in the house OF commons. The
American constitution can be amend
cd only BY means of two very slow
and complicated processes and has,
I'm fact. been amended but four times.
The first was when ten amendments
were attached to include the bill OF
rights the second was to- change the
character of the federal court juris-
diction. the third was when a change
In tho mode of electng the president
was made necessary by the Jefferson
! Burr incident. and the iourth was
when the results OF the Civil War
were incorporated in the fundamental
| law.
In practice, as far as politics is
concerned. the difference Is that In
England there is responsible party
Government and that in the United
states there Is rigid constitutional
government. sometimes controlled by
marty and sometimes not, but never
directly responsible.
The agitation for complete reform
NJ the house of lords began in Eng
land four years ago. and became
acute thirteen months ago. Already
the people have had the opportunity
/ IN decide the question for themselves.
| SERIOUS agitation for the reform OF
! tho United States senate on the pro-
nosition OF electing senators direct
! iv by tho people. was begun little
more than twenty years ago. The
constitution provides that when
three.fourths of the states shall
netition congress. congress shall call
n convention TO submit proposed
amendments 10 the states for ratifica-
ton. During these twenty years
1 thrce-fourths OF the states by their
/ havo .pdoraab tho prO.