Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-25
The EneII.h Elections.


OMAHA. Jan. 22.-To the Editor Of The
Bee: Whenever a man undertakes to in
form everybody concerning everything II
is inevitable that he will trip up many
times. Mr.. Frederic Hasklns, Of course,
does. Let me correct an error of his which
occurs in his article In this evenings Bee.
In 1t he makes the assertion that the
Church Of England is seeking to control
the public schools. Nothing could be much
farther from the truth. The contention Of
English churchmen is that religious educa-
ton in the public schools should be abso-
lutely fair and impartial. They maintain
that every child shah be taught the re-
ligion Of its parents, whether the child be
Christian or Jew; whether the child be Of
church parents or OF nonconformist. Fur
Their, they insist that the child shall be
taught this by teachers who really believe
what they are teaching.
The late Parliament was overwhelmingly
nonconformist, and 1t has sought steadily
to enforce a system of religious education
which was odious to churchmen and which
It called ndenominational. 1t failed in its
purpose to do this, although it formulated
four education bills with this object in
view. One OF its bills passed in the lower
house, but it was 80 obviously unfair that
the House Of Lords rejected it. The other
three bills were withdrawn by the govern
ment itself on account OF the determined
resistance Of lay churchmen and the clergy.
The archbishop of Canterbury and a ma
jority Of the bishops entered into a COM
promise on the education question with the
nonconformist minister Of education; but
the moment the terms Of the compromise
became known It was absolutely repudiated
] 49, ttA, I,aJt,r ,h,r,kNoan| 80 INnuInn5 Thn
bishops sulked and the bill was withdrawn.
The purpose of the ministry was to as
sault the Church of England In the re-
ligious teaching Of the young. 1t stood
ready to make concessions to the Jews and,
to an extent, to Roman Catholics; but it
was relentless to Anglicans.
The present election turned as much on
the education question as upon tariff re-
form or the budget. As the elections are
swinging the hold OF the nonconformists
on the education question is gone. They
/ are already in a hopeless minority and can
only hold office by the grace Of the Irish
natlonalists, who are going to give their
support only in return for such legislation
as they shall demand for Ireland. The
liberals, as such, have no love for the
Irish, except as they may be able to use
them for their own purposes; and the ma
tionalists have as little love for the lib
erals as they have for the unionists. II
the liberals are willing to accept office by
a coalition with the nationallsts, the latter
will turn when out of office, unless they
obtain what they will demand in the form
of Irish home rule. Mr.. Asquith is not a
Gladstone and he is not at all likely to
swing the entire liberal strength for home
rule. He will hardly hold office for six
months as things are going. England itself
is evidently going against him, and his
hold on public office will be more than
precarious If he has to depend upon the
grace of the nationalists to keep him In
it. The unionists may be a little better
off, but not much. If the liberals go out,
the unionists will take office, dissolve the
present Parliament and appeal to the coun-
try with much better hope Of success in
winning a clear majority than they have
in the present election.
Manifestly the liberal war cry against
the House Of Lords has failed in England,
and the Scotch are not so eager for down
ing the lords" though mainly liberal.
JOHN WILLIAMS.