Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-05
LORDS BIG PROBLEM WAR WITH MACHINE
British Statesmen Unable to New Political League in Vr
Aqree on Reform Program. ginia Announces Program.
CONTROL IS CONSERVATIVE FOR DEFEAT OF SENAT 0RS
Both Schemes Purpose to Lift the Sals
Assure Tory Majority Martin and Swanson
PUZZLE IS HARD ONE OTHER ISSUES IN STATE
Holding
Favor of an With
ton-Plans for Orphanage.
British Statesmen Unable to
Agree on Reform Program.
CONTROL IS CONSERVATIVE
Both Lansdowne and Curzon Schemes
. Assure Tory Majority.
Even Liberal Rank and File Not in
Favor of an Elective Senate.
Review by Mr.. Stead.
By William T. Stead.
,legram to Tho Star.

BY William T. Stead.
Special Cablegram to Tho Star.
LONDON. March 4.-The second read
ing of the veto bill was carried this week
after a debate that was interesting from
the number OF new members that partici-
pated I'm the discussion. but 1t was partly
up to the level Of the occasion. The COM
ment Of the press is that the tory party
is all at skies and sevens.
Things indeed have come to a pretty
pass when such faithful party organ as
the Morning Post feels itself constrained
to 'impIore the leaders OF the party to
cease their acrobatic displays Of consti-
tuition making by creating new political
heaven one day, only to bring it to earth
the next-which suggests the conjuror
rather than the statesman, and Jacobin
rather than the tory
Nothing that has appeared in the liberal
press is severer than this, yet nobody
can deny that it is well deserved To
this pass has been brought the ancient
and conservative constitutional party of
Great Britain.
Chaos of Warning Atoms.
The question which has reduced the
unionist party to this heterogeneous
chaos of warning atoms is, What is to be
done with the house OF lords? The
Younger school of tory democrats has
made I'D its mind that the only thing to
be done is to abolish the hereditary cham
Der altogether and create purely
elective second chamber. They would
cut up the country into large constitu-
encies each returning several members
voting according to some system of pro-
portional representation. The more eau
tious unionists shrink aghast from the
prospects of eliminating the hereditary
principle from the legislature; Ihey
banker after selecting at least half Of the
new house of lords from the peers them
selves.
Lords Lansdowne and Curzon have
each sketched out schemes for retaining
the hereditary element as a permanent
nucleus which would secure forever a
conservative majority in the upper cham
Der.
According to Lord Lansdownes scheme
the tory majority would be leo; accord
ing to Curzon, 90 Both are alike in
preserving the house of lords as a body
in which conservatives are permanently
in power.
The liberals, especially the radical
liberals, regard all these proposals for
creating second chamber with pro-
found dislike.
What to Do With Lords.
The average rank and file of the lib
eralparty would infinitely prefer the house
of lords it is now. plus the veto bill, to
any reform senate. which, even although
ii contained a smaller tory majority than
the present lords, would nevertheless be
certain to contain a tory ma jority quite
sufficient to make it a most serious drag
upon the chariot of progress. The only
effect of substituting an elective senate
with large constituencies for the present
house of lords would be to render 1T i'm
possible for any but the richest men to
get a seat in the upper house. The cost
be greater than many men OF moderate
means could afford. A party fund which
is at present replenished on both sides by
non-committal on the subject. The cabinet
to peerages would be depleted.
the liberals look with scant sympathy
upon any proposal to abolish the aris-
tocratic chamber merely in order to put
plutocratic house In its place. The at
titude Of the government, however, is
non-committal on the subject. The cabinet
adheres to the preamble which it affixed
to the veto bill. which was a declaration
IN favor of a reform of the lords to be
accomplished somehow and some time be-
bore the Greek kalends. But so far as
can be seen the present veto bill will go
forward. and be passed If necessary by
the creation Of 500 peers. Then nothing
constituting an elective senate. If the
800 peers are created the liberals will
have majority in both houses which
they will use as long as it lasts.
II the veto bin is passed without
creating 500 new peers the house OF
lords probably will be more reason
able in the future than it has been in
recent years.
The monthly magazines Of March at
ford ample evidence that the tory party
i. getting desperate. An almost un-
interrupted run of twenty years of
power brought into existence a num-
Der of men who imagined that union
ists alone had the right to govern
me empire. The country might, as
AL 1906, temporarily lose its senses. but
would be certain at the first OPP
vvrtunity to return to it's conservative
bearings So put the unionists again
power
country has had two chances for re-
tracing it's steps and in both of them
~ has affirmed in no unmistakable
fashion its determination to keep the
RACES in the conservative camp. which
leads the National Review to declare
that the .ministerialists consist OF
demasogues. dummies and dupes. who.
instead OF being argued with as IL they
we're respectable political party
ought to be treated like vermin.
Furious With Canada.
The same fury is extended from Eng
lsh to colonial politics. Sir Wilfrid
Laurier and his Canadian supporters
are described as il they were traitors
10 the empire because they are in favor
OF reciprocity with tho United States.
If the lords were abolished and an elect
i've senate established in it's place one
great step would be taken toward the
assimilation of the constitution of this
country and America. 1t would be a
curious whirhgig IL the descendants of
the men who forced Americans to revolt
I'm the eighteenth century were to Ameri-
canize the British constitution in the TWEEN
tieth.
The ashes OF old controversy have
been suddenly famed into fierce flame by
the publication OF Gen Buffers auto
biography. Sir William Butler was one
OF the greatest Irish soldiers of the nine
teenth century. He more than a
soldier-he was a statesman and bril-
liant man OF letters. Few men had a
wider range of experience He left
Africa on the eve of war which his
political chief had engineered and had
the melancholy consolation OF seeing all
his warnings more than justified by
events.
In his book he brings forward astonish-
ing evidence to the naryelo,1s i'm