The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27
MisinterpretatiOn of Asquith's
Pledge Regarding Veto Safe
guards Hastens Downfall
Redmond Is Master of Situation
and With Grim Purpose
Forces Advantage
By T. P. o'CoNNoR
Especial Cable 10 The Call

in their downfall. perhaps before this
night Is out. The whole situation
turned al hrst on the meaning of
Asquiths pledge in the Albert han
speech at the beginning Of the cleo
tion campaign that he would not as
sumo or retain Office without safe
guards against sny such use of their
veto by the house Of lords as their re
Jection OF the budget or other liberal
proposals sent 10 them during the last
four wears.
The universal InrerpG>et taGion put on
zhar pledge was that the safeguards
applied to guarantees from the king to
swamp the house Of lords with peers
so as 70 carry tho veto measure OF the
liberals.
UNINTERRUPTED STATEMENT
on this assumption every liberal and
every Irish candidate spoke and acted
and even some members Of Asquith's
own cabinet accepted this interpreta
tfon Every liberal newspaper in the
kingdom also thus interpreted the
pledge To the horror and bewilder-
ment OF the house Of commons. Asquith
announced last Monday night that the
safeguards did not mean guarantees
from the king. but safeguards 10 be
provided by legislation
Nobody doubts Asquith'S personal
good faith but everybody who is or
posed TO the lords veto deplores the
ira gic misunderstanding and, above all.
Asquiths neglect TO correct the mis-
Interpretation which he ought to have
known 10 be SO universal
The explanation probably is that
Asquith was deeply immersed in speech
making. in travelling on the stump and
in personal grief over the death of
young Gordon. Lord Aberdeen's son.
who was the hance Of Asouith's daugh-
ter and did not pay sufficiently close
attention 10 what was being said about
him.
RELAXED VIGILANCE
Further explanation is that Asauith
is casual scornful and somewhat in
dolenr and does not keep up that eter-
nal vigilance which is the price of
ministerial and other political power.
Amid the crash Of hopes and faith
which AsqUith's belated correction Of
his pledge created Redmond Monday
night rose 10 announce the irish attl-
tude. That attitude was a reiteration
in the strongest language OF the inter
probation OF Asquith's speech as mean
ing demand for guarantees from the
sovereign, and not legislative safe
guards. and Of reiteratiOn of the dec
iarstio that ii was on that under
standing Of Asauith's pledge that Irish
men were asked in Great Britain to
give their vote to the liberal candi-
dates.
Redmond further reitera ted the dec
lsration in his speech in Dublin. which
is now historic. that be would not al
low the budget or any other legisla
tion to get through until these prom
ssed guarantees were not only asked.
but got from the sovereign. In other
words, either the government must get
guarantees ct once ana go on with the
veto proposals with the certainty that
they could pass them into law this
session, or, falling this. should resign.
SPEECH or REDMOND
The speech of Redmond. though it
did not spare the government and espe-
cielly did not spare Asquith, was
ceived with enthusiasm not only on the
Irish, but on the radical benches. While
Asquith spoke all through amid freez-
ing silence BY his own party. Redmond
was cheered throughout from the radi-
cal benches.
II thus became at once apparent that
Redmond was the spokesman Of the
radical and even the moderate sections
Of the liberal party more than Asquith.
and the position Of Asquith became
forlorn. This folornness became even
more pronounced the second day Of the
sitting Of parliament Man after man
rose from the liberal benches to de-
nounce Asquith, and some speeches
were much more radical than Red
nond's. At once il became evident that
Asquitas only chance to escape from
defeat was the adoption of Rednon.Ps
policy Of the veto first and before any
other business.
This policy was partly adopted. but
still Asquith shivered on the brink and
nobody knew why until ii became
known that the cabinet did not have
its scheme OF dealing with the veto
ready yet and that the reason of the
unreadiness was that two sections still
were in dispute as to what form the
veto should take. One section proposed
the abolition Of the veto pure and sim
PIE; the other section, led by GREY pro-
posed the reconstruction OF the house
Of lords and the transformation into
an elective chamber Of so members to
sit together with the house OF COM
mons, IN conference when DISPUTE
arose.
RESENTED A. BAD TACTICS
Reform on an elective basis is agree
able TO most liberals. but at this mo-
ment this or any other scheme of re-
form of the lords is hotly resented as
bad tactics and as disastrous depart
nre from the plain. straightforward and
simple policy of the abolition of the
veto.
Thus there came second radical re-
volt against the ministers in the same
week when two ministerial candidates
at the byelections began suggesting
this scheme for the lords reform to
their constituencies.
The radical wrath boiled over and a
deputation went 10 Asquith TO deliver
an ultimatum against any project for
reform Of the house of lords. At this
moment one well known radical mem
ber, Sir Henry Dalziel, put motion on
the notice paper in the house of COM
mons for a vote of censure on the gov
ernment II any reform scheme is
proposed in this house the lords re-
form viii be killed and the cabinet
further humiliated.
Still they held back their reply to
Redmonds and the radical demand to
80. u .-ofo r-onoez1c The T-fe