El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-01-20
AN EPOCH MARKING
CAMPAIGN.
ENGLAND NOW LOOKS TO UNITED STATES
The English Elections


budget. In this form the budget might
have been open 10 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 Eng
land the system is called lacking
Lords Make Admission.
The lords might have objected to the
budget on this score, but the quarrel
would have been indeterminate THEY did
not dare TO undertake a step so revO-
iutionary as to reject the bill in toto.
The referendum" amendment was the
result. BY It's adoption the house of
lords admitted that social reform meas
ures in the budget were In order" and
not subject TO the charge of lacking"
The lords also forced q dissolution and
asked for an election. For more than
a century the power TO dissolve parIia-
ment 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 rejection but ref
erendum 10 the people Beneath this
bubble, however, the Conservatives were
stirred to mighty effort and the peers.
themselves, awOke TO action such as they
have not dreamed of in 200 years.
Waters Are MuddIed.
unwilling TO meet the issue which caus-
ed the election, it was inevitable that
the waters should become muddied. The
Conservatives. led by the former prime
minister, Arthur J. Balfour of the house
of commons, and by lord LandsdOwne of
the peers, offered tariff REFORM mean
ing protection instead of free trade, as
substitute for all the relief offered in
the Lloyd-George budget and proceeded
TO make THEIR campaign upon that is
sue.
In addition, they charged that the
Liberal government had failed to pro-
vide for the adequate defense OF the
nation against what they declare to be
an imminent attack by Germany.
Thus the two parties went to the coun-
try Premier Asquith leading the Liber-
ais. although all but overshadowed by
the great Lloyd-George in the defense
of the budget and in the attack upon
the house Of lords, endeaYored TO keep
the original issue clearly before the
people. The lords and the Conservatives,
who forced the referendum on that is
sue themselves, under the leadership of
Mr.. Balfour, sought to place the en-
phasiS upon tariff reform
BalfOur's Hard Fight
Mr. BalfOur has a record of many
years as a 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 a doubt of
sweeping Liberal victory and the prac-
teal abolition of the house of lords The
Conservatives were forced by the law
of self-preservation, to bring in the tar
iff 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
10 their low estate and that if they will
adopt a protective tariff there will be
Work Tor all the unemployed a job for
every man, and that the foreigner will
pay the taxes TO run the government
To American ears the campaign thunder
is strangely familiar
Look to United States
Not least among the interesting fea-
lures OF this remarkable campaign is
that both parties have gone TO the
United States for precedents and exam
pies 10 prove their causes The Liber-
ais have pointed out that all land is
taxed in America, and the Conservatives
have retorted with the amazing dis
covery 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 work
ingmen as the product of the protective
tariff, and the Liberals have retorted
with the price of butter and eggs in
Kansas City,
Thomas jefferson is quoted in attack
ing the house of lords, and Alexander
Hamilton is brought forth 10 defend
that institution Mother England seems
quite ready to learn something from
the Yankees, but at the same time she
has much to teach the United States I
about the business OF conducting cam
paigns and managing elections.
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