Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-22

revenue measures and introduced in the
budget. In this form the budget might
have been open to the charge OF con-
tanning eXtraneous matter of legislation
not strictly in the revenue class-a sys-
tenn of legislation formerly common in
the United States when riders were
attached to appropriation bills. In
England the system. is called "tacking.'
The lords might have objected to the
budget on this score, but the quarrel
then would have been indetermiuate.
They did not dare to undertake a steD
so revolutionary as to reject the bill in
toto. The referendum" amendment
was the result. BY its adoption the
house Of lords admitted that the social
reform measures in the budget were
lin order" and not subject to the charge
Of tacking. The lords also forced a dis
solution and asked for an election. For
more than u century the power to dis
solve parliament has not been exercised
by the lords.
The campaign began with this clear
cut issue: Has or has not the house of
commons the sole control of the purse
strings Of the nation as exercised since
the days of Cromwell? The Liberals
declared In the affirmative, accused the
lords of defying the constitution, and
asked the people to return the Liberal
government and to limit the power of
the lords. The Conservatives, on the
other hand, did not meet the issue
Squarely, but set up the claim that the
amendment by the lords was not a re-
lection but a referendum to the people.
Beneath this bubble, hoWever, the Con-
SerVatNeS were stirred to mighty effort
and the peers themselves awoke to ac-
tion such as they have not dreamed Of
i'll 200 years.
with pf
unwilling to meet the issue which
caused the election, it was inevitable
that the waters should become mud
died. The Conservatives, led by the
former prime minister Arthur j. Bal
four of the house of commons, and by
Lord LansdoWne of the peers, offered
tariff reform, meaning protection in
stead of free trade, as a substitute for
all the relief offered in the Lloyd
George budget and proceeded to make
their campaign upon that issue. In ad-
dition, they charged that the Liberal
government had failed to provide for
the adequate defense of the nation
against what they declare to be an inn
minent attack by Germany.
Thus the two parties went to the
country. Premier Asquith, leading the
Liberals, although all but oVershad-
owed by the great Lloyd George, in the
defense of the budget and in the at
tack upon the house of lords endeav-
ored to keep the original issue clearly
before the people. The lords and the
Conservatives, who forced the referen-
dunn on that issue themselves under the
leadership of Mr. Balfour, sought to
place the emphasis upon tariff reform.
Mr. Balfour has a record of many years
as d free trader, and also as a severe
critic Of the house of lords, so that his
part in the campaign was most difficult.
But he was thoroughly in earnest in
opposition to the land tax and land
valuation features of the budget, and
he used the best weapons at hand with
which to fight. If the campaign could
have been kept to the issue upon which
the referendum was taken there would
never have been q doubt of a sweeping
Liberal victory, and the practical abo-
lition OF the house of lords. The Con-\
servatiges were forced by the law OF
seIf-preservatlon to bring in the tariff
reform issue.
The Liberals tell the people that they
suffer because the land is held by a
few men who do not use it to the best
advantage, and that these land owners
must share in the burdens Of public
taxation. The Conservatives tell the
people that free trade has brought them
to their low estate, and that if they
will adopt protective tariff there will
be work for all the unemployed, a job
for every man, and that the foreigner
will pay the taxes to run the govern
ment. To American ears the campaign
thunder Is strangely familiar.
Not least among the interesting feat
ures of this remarkable campaign is
that both parties have gone to the
United States for precedents and exam
pies to prove their causes. The Liberals
have pointed out that all land is taxed
in America, and the Conservatives have
retorted with the amazing discovery
that the land tax has kept down the
price of real estate in Boston! The
Conservatives have pointed to the high
wages and prosperity of American
workingmen as the product Of the pro-
tective tariff, and the Liberals have re-
torted with the price of butter and
eggs in Kansas City! Thomas Jeffer-
son is quoted in attacking the house OF
lords, and Alexander Hamilton is
brought forth to defend that institu-
tion. Mother England seems quite ready
to learn something from the Yankees,
but at the same time she has much to
teach the United States about the busi-
ness of conducting campaigns and man
aging elections.
Tomorrow--The English Elections:
H-POIitics on BilIbOards.