Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-30
Politics in England.

know about all there Is to be known
about politics and government. 1t is a
fact that England Eng
land-can give many points the advan-
tage and still beat us out. for after all
politically as well as otherwise, the
English are the most progressive peo-
pie on the face Of the earth.
Americans get most Of their ideas Of
liberty from the English. 1t is not too
much to say that it was because we
were English we won our indepen-
dence. We are making headway In
democracy it is true; but those who
think we are getting along faster than
is the mother country are more or less
mistaken. We are still getting more
from England in the science of good
government than she Is getting from
u.s.
These observations are suggested by
a marked copy Of the London Chroni-
Gle received through the mail yester-
day from our friend Clarence Poe, edi-
tor Of the Progressive Farmer. Mr..
Poe was in London with his bride on
July 13, and had the very good fortune
to hear Mr.. Lloyd George, one Of the
greatest of English statesmen make a
speech at Kensington to thousands Of
working men in explanation Of the
working mans insurance act. which
was to go in effect on the following
Monday.
1t Is not practicable to give full ex-
planation of the working mans insur-
ance act at this time: but some idea Of
it can be gathered in the statement that
1t requires every laborer who receives
less than 16O pounds per annum to pay
three pence a week into an insurance
fund and If he becomes disabled
through accident or loss of health. he
receives a pension of ten shillings or
about $3.50 a week. The payment Of
the insurance is fixed as a charge on
employer and employee alike. and the
act as whole Is along scientific lines;
but there has been much opposition to
it, especially from the wealthy classes,
who have to pay the taxes from which
the original guarantee funds come. and
these classes have been doing all they
could to dissatisfy the laborers for
whose benefit the law was enacted.
There were many thousand people at
Kensington to hear Mr.. Lloyd George,
the great champion of the laboring man
in explanation of his bill, and the speech
he made so far as abuse Of the Times
newspaper, one Of the principal oppo-
nents of the measure, was concerned, Is
suggestive of some of the things we are
hearing about the South Carolina news
papers on the stump at the present
time; but the language is not nearly SO
rough. The Times has been trying to
create dissatisfaction with the law, and
Mr.. Lloyd George interpreted its atti-
tude as one of lawlessness. For in
stance, here is a specimen from the
speech:
Defiance of law is like the cattle
plague. 1t is very difficult to isolate 1t
and confine it to the farm where it has
broken out. daughter and Hear,
hear:D And although this defiance of
the insurance act has broken out first
of all amongst the Harmsworth herd
Cloud laughter)-it has travelled into
the office of the Times" (More
laughter.) Why? Because they be-
long to the same cattle farm. Uaugh-
ter.) The Times" l want you to re-
member, is just a twopenny- -halfpenny
edition of the Daily Mail" Uaugh-
ter, and voice: I'VE haven't forgot
ten Pigott YETI
1T is very sad. Here YOU have got
the poor old law and order" Times"
which, when law meant pulling down
houses that people had built for them
selves in Ireland-by the thousand
turning them out in the depth of win
ter on the bleak hill side. the Times"
said, THE law must be respected
When it meant shooting, transporting,
gibbeting men whose only crime was
they loved their native land. and loved
her all the more because she was poor
and suffering. then the Times" was
all for law and order. "a voice: And
Pigott.w
But now, when it is a question Of
paying Sd. week to keep the workmen
and their children from starving, the
Times" says mo more law and order"
Uaughter0 What a sad end for a fair
ly reputable career. (Hear, hear) All
this is entirely due to instructions. /
have watched them week by week.
They have very reluctantly assumed
this attitude. They have been lashed
and driven and kicked by their new
masters from article to article. from
to paragraph, until-to save
their lives-they have gasped out sedi-
ton. (Hear, hear) The other day
they said: Break the law; they will
only fine you a shilling" (Laughter.)
What an extraordinary doctrine for
a respectable paper! Is that going to
apply to everything-poaching for in
stance? daughter and hear, hear.)
But of course we cannot reproduce