New-York tribune., 1910-12-26
Mr.. ASQU|TH'S VICTORY
Three Tacticians The Veto
BiII-Home Rule.

sranzied revel of partisahship ana poh
ca, passion. The most commanolhs '"0
has heen the Prime Minister. Lam
pooned and caricatured as MI
mond's puppet and the hirelins OF Anief'-
can payrnast he has been the aut'of
ttative leader of the coalition III deie"'e
of the rights of democracy he mas ha"
no rival on his own side The Chancei-
lor ha. been less effective than ne "as
in January. when he was identfned WIN
the budget. which the LORDS nad nuns
I'D on the pretence Of referring it TO the
people. Mt Churchill has been isss
prominent than he was year ago. mn
he conducted with shrewdness anu
brilliancy the Liberal canvass IN Ldh-
cashire. Mr. Asquith has led MS parry
and the two allied factions WIN 'he
courage and inexorable logic OF a great
Prime Minister. He has concehlfa'eu
public attention on the veto bill, MADE IL
the single dominating issue OF the can
vass and discussed IT with high minded
dignity and argumentative force With
ont his close reasoning and infiexible
hrnlness the progressive forces Wouio
have been hope1essly beaten
Mr. Asquiths conservative metnoo Oh
presenting Radicalism has been fndis-
nsable when there has been conceh-
tration of the moderate men OF the couh-
try against him. He has defehdeo tie
veto bill as a definite solution Oh ing
constitutional question and also as an
act of Justice and fair play. He has op-
crude experiment, which would substi-
tute a plebiscite ON an issue impertecus
defined for a deliberate choice between
parties by the nation. degrade the house
of Commons and upset the pr1nc'pies Oh
representative government He mas as
manded equality OF opportunity for LID
eralism and Unionism and condemned
system by which the viii OF the people
az declared at a general election was
thwarted and paralyzed. He has not
evaded/any public question: he has an
nounced his intention Of proceeding with
Home Rule after the veto bill has been
passed, and he has been candid ana
straightforward, not having recourse 10
the dernagogues arts nor dece1vlng Tue
country by political nanruvres ana
"a rtisan yaportng. Il has been the
Prime Minister'S instinct for going
straight" that has saved the situation
for the coalition
Mr. Balfour deserves almost equal
praise for his leadership OF the Opposl-
ton. The dissolution g fortnight aftsr
the failure Of the conference was sur
prise, which placed him at a disao-
vantage; but, short as was the interval
II suff1ced for an orderly retreat In the
face of the enemy and for the formation
of q new line of defence, with the re-
formed House of Lords and joint sessions
in ordinary deadlocks. and with the rei-
erendum as a popular poll IN grave
emergencies. Not content with supply
ing the Opposition with an alternative
policy on constitutional questions. ne re-
moved the last obstacle in the way OF
Of moderate men by oHer-
ing to submit Tariff Reform to the op-
Grafton of the referendum. 1t was bold |
and brilliant maneuvre. which enabled !!
the Unionists to win seats and to reduce |
hostile majorities in Lancashire and the |
North. II the canvass has been deferred |
until January the result might nave
been even more favorable for the Union |
lists. AS it is, Mr.. Belfour has Increased |
his reputation as a tactictan.
The third great parsonage of the cleo
tions is Mr.. Redmond, the most reserved +.
and taciturn Of politicians and the most |
persistent Of leaders in adhering uri- |
alterably to a policy. Parnell was an |
he ~ larral His I
traits and methods of warfare were Eng |
lish rather than Irish, and he fought the |
Home Rule battle with unflinching cour-
age and unyielding pertinacity. Mr.. Red
mond stood by him when a majority OF |
his followers deserted him. Represent |
ing answering loyalty TO the Parneil |
tradition, he gradually established his |
supremacy over the reunited party, and |
led it with the same domineering man
ner and air of mystery and aloofness.
Insisting upon absolute, unquestioning |
obedience from his followers, he has re-
garded Mr.. O'Brien's movement as
f1agrant rebellion against the Parneil |
cause. With the help of his American |
and Canadian subscriptions he has made |
q desperate effort to suppress the revolt
and to reunite the Irish party by stamp
ing out resistance to his will. III the re-
suits have not equalled his expectations
Il has been because the Conservatives
and Protestants IN Ireland have made
common cause with the O'Brienites. Yet /
t has been stubborn. relentless battle,
sign OF either eonciliation or
trimming IN the leadership
With leaders and tacticians SO for
midabIe as these, what has been accom-
plished in this hercely contested cleo
Ion? One thing, at least-a clear and
decisive Judgment on the veto question
Il the verdict last January covered the
budget and prohibited the Lords from i
interfering with financial legislation, the
aew Judgment has dealt with the ad-
Iustment of deadlocks between the /
houses by the expedient first suggested
oy Mr.. Bright. No form of special ref
srendum could have been more explicit
than an appeal to the country on the
text of the veto bill. The election In
stead Of being a force or stalemate. /
as it is now described by demoralized
stra tion that the people Of the kingdom, |
oewildered as they may be by constitu-
.ional questions and side issues. want to
nave the will Of the Commons prevail