East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-02-07
MRS. HUMPHREY WARD
DEFENDS THE PEERS
KNGLISH AUTHORIZES ABLY
ARGUES UNIONIST CAUSE
While Campaigning for Her Son She
Takes Up Arms for Aristocratic
Solons--Says Peers Are Not All
Selfish--Dlscusses Their Holding
Up of the Budget.

Up of the Budget.
London Although curlousy
enough the suffragettes have been lit
tie in evidence during the present pc
riOd OF political stress in England,
the part which women have played
in the campaign has been very con-
siderable. Almost every candidates
female relatives worked for him, and
the interest generally displayed in the
elections by the fair sex has been ex-
treme.
Few candidates had such excellent
support as the son of Mrs. Humphrey
Ward, who stood for the Waterford
division of Hertfordshire. His moth
er wrote a series of letters, which cir
culated throughout the constituency,
and which, 1t has been suggested,
should have the widest publicity Civ
en- them because OF the way in which
this talented woman writer sets forth
the unionist case.
Mrs. Humphrey Ward addressed
letters "To My Neghbors," and they
were written in a simple style which
even opponents admit, had an unde-
niable affect. As an illustration of
how some Of the issues which are be-
ing fought out in England are put by
the talented woman, some excerpts
are given. Mrs. Ward says:
Have the house of lords done so
wrong? why have we, why has any
country what is called the second
chamber? Simply on the principle
that we all follow, If we are wise in
our own lives, that two heads are bet
ter than one, that second thoughts are
often the best. and that great and i'm
portant decisions cannot be taken with
too much care.
Lords As Brake.
above all Is this true when decis-
ions concern n great nation with mil
lions OF inhabitants. The house OF
lords is there to give the nation the
second chance TO say every now and
then. when very important and dis
puted matters come up: Are you
sure that what you want to do is the
will Of the nation? You were elected
some time ago. This law you want
US to agree to was never put forward
at the last election. The country, to
Judge from the by-elections. no long
er seems to support you. The coun-
try does not seem TO want this law
We think. therefore, that it would be
better to ask the opinion of the cleo
tors on this most important change
before il is carried out"
Again, Mrs. Humphrey Ward
writes:
I'VE know that the lords are jus
like other people, that both in tn,
house of commons and the house o
lords there are wise men and unwisC
men, selfish men and public-spiritet
men. and we have q way OF believing
that whether i'm the house of com
mons or the house OF lords, English
men desire on the whole, to do theii
duty, and wish honestly to see ara t,
know what is their duty.
Peers Not Selfish.
Moreover, In this part of tn,
world we happen to know that thu
peers are not all selfish or take n,
thought for any interests but thei
own on the contrary, we see that
while many cottages belonging. 4
small owners in this district are in
bad and neglected state, the Roth
schlld cottages are excellent and ar
let at half a crown a week: that Ash
ridge Park is open to all the world
rich or poor, that the Rothschild es
tates are among the most prosperou
in England for everybody who live
upon them. and that fifteen mile
away the great estate OF the Duke o
Bedford is so well and generousl,
managed that there is not a tenan
upon il that would not rather a hun
dred times be n tenant Of the Duk
of Bedford than a tenant of Lloyd
George or anybody else--no, we don
believe that men like Lord Brownloy
and Lord Rothschild and the Duke o
Bedford have been merely consider
ing their own selfish interests in say
ing what this budget must do to tn
country on the contrary, we belev
that they are honestly afraid that tn
budget would injure the country, an
that Is why they insist that the opin
ion OF the country shall be asked be
fore they give their consent"
Some of the leading liberal paper
have deemed 1t necessary to take Mrs
Wards letters and combat their ar
guments one by one.