The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-03-31

y l1AA w "A l. GlS
advocacy of their policy have not by
any me Ems forced them into the arms
of the Liberals In spite of their aver
sion to the House of Lords, they alb
stained from voting at the division
which dissolved Parliament recently.
But on the Irish benches are to be found
most of tie eloquence and nearly all
the wit in the House. When Tim Hea-
ly rises, the House fills as if for an I'M
porta Mt division.
A most important factor in British
politics at present is the Labor Party.
At the last election some forty Labor
ties were elected, where previously there
had been at most half-doZen. Cir
cumstances have forced them into al
lance with the Liberals whose mea-
sures have been iE entire sympathy
with their aims. Even the Socialists
among them must rejoice at scheme
of finance, which is founded on the
basic principle of Henry George, taxa
tion of unearned increment. But the
alliance is temporary, and may at any
moment be swept away.
The Conservative party, which was re-
sponsible for the Beer war, whose mis-
management and inefficiency brought
it to utter defeat at the last election,
has since been consolidated. At the
time of the Home Rule bill, a large
body seeded from the Liberal ranks
on that issue, and its members have
since been described as Liberal Union
lists. They have become so merged with
the Conservatives, however, that the
distinction has been almost forgotten.
There is another split in the Conserva-
tive party OH the question of free trade,
but the enormous expenditure of recent
years has made protectiefl the only al
tentative to land taxation.
1t will thus be seen that there are at
present four parties in British politics,
but the Irish Nationalists and the La
, Dor Party have at present to be content
with subordinate position, which in
one case is necessarily permanent. In
fact, the power of the Irish party is
: destined to decline, if an act reg ulating
the distribution of election districts is
t passed. The mechanical regularity of
. the American system of distribution in
: proportion to population is lacking in
e England. The theory is admitted, and
D there are no longer boroughs OF half-a
y dtzen inhabitants which return two
e members to Parliament. But the steady
e drain of country to city, and of Irelant
a to America, produces strange anoma
n lies, so that an electorate of one thou
n sand in rural district has equal pow
|, ers with an uftan electorate of went,
It or thirty thousand A reapportioEmen
Q of seats would reduce Ireland's repre-
= sentation as much as thirty per cent.
l. The prest nee of the English cabine
n ministers in Parliament is anothe
l. striking difference in the systems. Yer
d little of the administrative work of tn
J. departments receives the personal al
l. tention of the man in nominal chargt
d whose business it is rather to act as
G. link between legislation and admins
,s tration. An exception must be mad
IF of the Foreign Secretary, who in Eng
se land may at any moment become tn
Of most important man in the countr.
c. The foreign affairs ofthe United State
IN arc almost invariably tranquil; when
a. disturbance appears, it is usually a ma
ter of chastizing South American n
C. public or reorganizing dependenc.
h. This security is lacking in Englan'
he surrounded by menacing foes and non
H. inally ruling quarter Of the earth
w population.
ch A word should te devoted to Kin
'st Prime Minister and President. II
tn King of England is in the main an o
is namental adjunct. His influence in a
Ii fairs of state is almost entirely conil
N. ed to the maintenance of friendly rel
tn tions with the heads of foreign nation
he at which the present king is somethlr
raj of an artist He has vet0-pOwer
he theory; but lie could not exert it wit
gh out bringing storm about his cal
to The Prime Minister, on the contrary,
much more of an sutocrat than Il
ia, President of the United States with
nst his own party. No party measure G
tly be introduced unless it has his acti
to support; he is the fountain head Of pri
e'sl ilege, from which spring all titles al