The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-01-25

britain have been Disappointing 20 Of
no honed 70 see a sweeping victor.
for the Liberals. They deserved 1nt
most pronounced success IN the MS
tory Of their party eau tney were
fighting a battle for the vital reform:
that England most needs. Ihey VII
have a comfortable majority, enough
70 carry through all their reforms, L
the Irish members Will
thoroughly with them upon all iegls'
lation. If the Irish members hoie
the whip hand, as seems now possible
and do not agree with Premier Asqultf
upon the policy to which the Liberals
are committed. the situation may be
| disastrous to the present hope Of far
reaching reforms.
At this distance it looks like the
Liberals made a mistake in multiply
ing issues tina invited attack from
too many Influential classes. The
gained the vigorous opposition OF the
established church when IN a former
election they forgot the schools tina;
were supported by the public ano
controlled by the established church
Therefore they knew that they must
face the powerful opposition which
will never surrender any special priv
leges if it can hold on to them. The
tax on land that is not employed and
the contest with the peers united more
than ever the opposition Of the peers
O-1 Ill thnco nl1ccac that faaT their
power or privileges will be reduced
or taken from them. If the Liberals
had been wise in this election. speak
ing from the standpoint Of politica,
strategy, they would not, in addition
to these influential classes. invited the
strenuous opposition Of the liquor in
terests by the large increase in the
tax on beer and other intoxicants
They would have made the campaign
alone on the issue of whether titled
peers, obtaining position by inheri-
tance, could set aside the Will Of the
people as expressed by the mer
elected to the House Of Commons
thus demanding the exercise of g
power not used in two hundred years
Upon that issue, their victory would
have been large and complete. But
when they at the same time, SO in
creased the tax on liquors as tC
arouse the big interests behind the
manufacture and sale Of intoxicants
it aroused In opposition tina was i'm
p~lacable, numerous and ready to &c
any length to compass their defeat
Thus, while the Liberals made much
of the issue Of Peers and Beer. the
two, with all the influences at thei.
command, were able to greatly reduce
the majority for the Liberals ir
the next Parliament if they have
not put the Liberals at the mercy o.
the N~ationalists.
If in North Carolina. when the
movement was undertaken to pass
the suffrage amendment, the attenap,
had been made at the same time t.
shut up the saloons and the stills, both
movements would have failed. Most
r~eforlners who fail to score do SO ha-
cause they wish to do ALI tho rooa
things at one time. The termination
10 press for the tax on beer was 50
strong that the Liberals could not re-
slst 1t because the need Of revenue
was very great. But the stragetica]
position would have been to att,ck
one evil at a time. The peers put
out OF business it would have been
eoNi |" increase the beer income to
the However, If the Ma
dohallsts will cooperate with tho
Liberal leaders, both reforms will lac
accomplished.
me election has shown that the
H-eIe, lohs exempt from taxation 9,