The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-09


vision of the budget and so 1t goes. Just
how these conflicting questions are going
to lead the voters to act nobody can tell.
and it is on this the result of the cleo
ton hinges.
Undoubtedly the most spectacular issue
of the campaign is the curtailment of the
power of the House of Lords 1t is on
this point the liberals have made their
principal fight. Judging by the action of
those who attend the meetings they have
been making winning fight, but in Eng
land this is not sure sign by any means.
1t is what is called in America the
west pocket" vote which will decide this
contest and there is no way of judg
ing it.
Never in a political campaign here have
SO many peers taken active part as in
this one. Dukes, marquises, earls, Wis
counts and barons have been as plenty
as blackberries the bush and it may
be here said that some OF these peers
have developed into effective campaigners
Lord Curzon has really been the lead
ing figure in the oratorical battle on
the conservative side, and Llyod George
on that of the liberals They ftly rep
resent the extremes of the opposing
armies.
Gratis and has met the attack on the
lords without giving an inch.
Lloyd-George Is a man of no family
from the English viewpoint and an
ultra democrat.
In Great Britain as In America the
real effective work of the campaign
is not done by the orators. but by men
little in the public eye who direct the
| machines.
The men who correspond to the chair
men of the national committees in
America are called chief agents here.
! They look after the real work of the
election.
The chief agent of the liberals is
Sir Robert Hudson, Warwickshire
man who has practically spent all his
career in the work of liberal organiza-
ton. What Sir Robert does not know
about electoral law, as well as about
the management of contests. is GER
tainly not worth knowing.
His favorite recreation, which he
shares with so many politicians is golf
and he has a country place at Felix
stowe. He believes In living near his
work for he has got one of the tall
| imposing looking houses in Deans
Yard, Westminster.
His first lieutenant, ''the chief gov
eminent whip" has long been affec-
1 tionately known as Jack" Pease. He
is we'll built, handsome man of ath-
letic frame. Clean shaver save for a
| bushy moustache, his countenance be-
| speaks strength of character and de-
| cision-the sort of man who inspires
| confidence, while from his steady eyes
| there beams unlimited kindness and
| good humor.
| Sprung from one of the most famous
| Quaker families in the country he.
curiously enough. was an early pupil
| of DIR. Creighton afterward Bishop of
| London. Later on, at Cambridge, he
got his BLUE" for Rugby football. and
! also played polo for the university;
| while at chicket he was captain of the
| Trinity eleven.
| 1t was the late Sir Henry Campbell
| Bannerman, very shrewd judge Of men,
| who induced Mr.. Pease to become a whip
1t was a splendid choice, for Jack
| has astonishing knowledge Of all labor
| and trade union matters.
These two men manage the liberal
campaign They have to arrange about
the candidates all over the country. Peo-
pie who want to stand come to them
for seats. and local party associations
constantly appeal to them to find then
| candidates.
No one who had not seen the process al
work would credit how much diplomacy
how much generaship is required VII
Mr.. Jones do for Little Pedlington? Oh
yes. but Mr.. Jones would rather have the
great town of Smokeborough. Smoke.
borough, on the contrary, desires some
one with title.
Then. again. Mr.. Smith perhaps can
not afford the expensive county division
which wants him, and SO the party mus,
come to the rescue with pecuniary
grant In all this there is immense
amount Of give-and-take and compromise
The chief conservative agent, Mr.
James Percival Hughes succeeds SONS
notable organizers Of victory. This will
be his first general election, for he was
appointed after the conservative rout in
1905.
A bright, cheerful, good looking man
| Mr.. Hughes was first introduced into
political life by Col. Fred Burnaby, whose
private secretary he was and for whom
he did sterling work in Birmingham pol
tiles
OF his II years at the bar Mr.. Hughes
tells some capital stories. For instance
he once actually succeeded in persuad-
ing Jury that prisoner charged with
theft had committed the crime uncon-
sciously while walking in his sleep.
It IL not generally known that Mr.
Hughes is a highly gifted sculptor; he
has exhibited some admirable work al
the academy.
Sir Alexander Acland-Ho the chiel
| unionist whip has also a naffectionate
| nickname. THE Pink I'm" This is de-
rived from his rudy complexion. which
bespeaks the fine old country gentleman
that he is. Like Jack Pease he IL Q
rare good sportsman, who hunts the fox
and the stag and ID at home with shoot
| ing Of every kind.
He saw some shooting of a serious kind
| too. in the Egyptian campaign Of 1852
= where. ~ an officer in the Guards hi