The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-01-12
= !. !. = !. !. !. :. :. !. :. :. !. !. :.
= PROGRESS OF THE BRITISH :.
:: POLITICAL BATTLE. :.
= = !. :. - :. :. !. - - .. ). - :. :. :. :.

No perceptible halt is shown in the
vigor of the political campaign which
has been raging in Great Britain from
Lands End to John oGroat's since the
propagation of parliament early i'm De-
cember. Members of the house Of
lords have been. for them unprece-
IDENTIFY active on the hustings; bur
their campaigning is now practically
over, for with the issue of the election
writs. they are precluded from active
campaigning, and especially from the
time the elections begin January 10
until they end January "a. on the
ground that such active participation
by the powerful lords in house of COM
mons elections would amount to inti-
midation OF voters. The dukes. mar
quises. earls- viscounts and barons
who have been pleading the anti-bu
get cause on the hastings will prob
| ably not be sorry that their personal
activity in the campaign is practically
over; for London advices agree that
scant courtesy has been accorded
them, even in Unionist strongholds
like Birmingham while i'm some of
the so-called agricultural constituent
cies they have been not only merciless-
ly heckeed, but not infrequently boot
ed and denied a hearing
AS The Herald early predicted prob
able, in case the lords rejected the
budget, the tariff reform issue-which
in Great Britain means protection
seems to be increasingly overshadowed
by the land-tax and other budget is
sues, and more especially that raised
by the lords in asserting its right. UNI
exercised for centuries, to force dis
solution of parliament by rejection Of
the budget in the face of majority
of nearly three to one in its favor IN
the house of commons.
The Unionist voters are making an
able and obstinate fight in their efforts
to make tariff-reform the paramount
issue. but seemingly without any par
ticular signs of success. Even
i'm Birmingham, the stronghold
of tariff reform and where both
the Chamberlains. father and son, are
ndidates-although the formers
health will not permit him to take his
seat If elected-this question seems to
have been largely submerged by the
other issues raised by the budget and
by the action of the lords i'm rejecting
it. The thing that handicaps the tar
f-reform campaign as il stands is the
| fact that very large proportion of the
advocates of protection also favor the
land tax. the liquor-tax and the in
come and inheritance taxes as provid-
ed in the budget, and this is especially
| true of the wageworkers. small manu-
| facturers and traders. and in lesser
degree of the larger. on clear cut
issue between protection and free
trade -unincumbered With the budget
| handicap-the Unionists would have n
much better show than. at the present
outlook. they seem likely to make.
There Is one other thing, however,
10 the Unionist vote, especially in
England. and this is the absolute and
definite commitment of the Liberal
party-by the speeches of Premier
Asquith. Lord-George, winston
| Churchill and other ministerial ora
tors-to home-rule for Ireland in all
matters not distinctly national. sub
stantially the Gladstone measure de