The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-01-22
What The Issues
Were In The Great
British Campaign

politicians consider American methods
far superior to the British
On one thing both sides are agreed,
it is a fight to a finish. For fifty
years Liberals in England have COM
planned that their efforts have been
nullified by permanent Conserva-
tive majority in the hereditary House
of Lords. So now any rate reduce
their powers of vetoing advanced leg
islative proposals-if they can.
Lord Loreburn, Lord Chancellor in
the House of Lords has expressed
the Liberal opinion in these words:
1T is in my opinion impossible that
any Liberal Government can ever
again bear the heavy burden of office,
unless it is secured against the repe-
tition of treatment such as our meas
ures have had to undergo for the last
four years."
Although British Parliaments are
entitled to sit for seven years. the
present Government cannot proceed
because stirring democratic issues
have arisen. Only in peaceful periods
can the Cabinet cover the seven years
without appealing to the country
The last Conservative Government
accomplished it. but it had the sup
port of the Lords. That support the
Liberals never have.
HOW THE LORDS VOTE.
No one is surprised when they eX-
anime the political complexion of the
upper house, for there are only ninety
six Liberals In all the COS members.
OF these 483 are there because they
are the sons of their fathrs, ninety
are the sons of their fathers, ninety
they are recently created peers-fve
are life peers and 1875 are archbishops
and bishops So the Liberals are out
voted by six to one when the privi-
leges of the Lords are called in ques-
ton, as they are now, or social re-
forms are sent up for consideration
after prolonged debates in the House
of Commons.
, Premier Asquith is known to be in
favor of a second chamber with lin
vanced followers see no necessity for
any other legislative authority than
the. House of Lords, however, think
the time has passed for a hard-and-
fast hereditary principle to be main
tanned, and would favor the inclusion
of vigorous new blood-on the lines OF
the election of prominent men in vari-
oius spheres of public activity, as life
members of the upper house. Labor
men, the irish party and the ad-
vanced Radical wing of the Liberal
PARTY plead for the ending rather
than the intending" of the Lords.
They say they mean to end the here
lditary principle and simply the Brit
r ish Constitution right here and now.
5 LIQUOR BACKS THE LORDS.
The whole weight Of the liquor in
terest is on the side Of the Conser-
yatives. The budget imposed a beer
tax of 6 cents a barrel, which, with
e license duties of about 80 cents, rep
s resented the State interest in the
, traffic. At once the saloonkeepers'
in agreement with the brewers, raised
retailed prices till the additional cost
was about SO barrel to the con-
e sumers. 1t was explained that this
7 was due to the budget" Now that
b the Lords have rejected the budget
i including the liquor taxes, the saloon
= men have put out great notices sum
o ed, in consequence of the defeat oil
r the budget" Thus the working-class
S consumers are being drilled in the
doctrine that the peers are the cham