The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1913-01-21
By Ed L. Keen,

d Uondon Correspondent of the United
Press.
LONDON, Jan. 21.-England's proud
5 old peerage is in a sorry plight. 1t was
! they began to sign on among the crew
of the venerable vessel, house of lords,
La miscellaneous assortment OF brewers,
butchers, grocery keepers and other
tradesmen, the dubious character of
whose family trees was conveniently
obcured by their golden foliage. Then
long came the buccaneers of the house
of commons, couple of years ago.
They boarded the ancient craft and
musSed her up in most frightful man
ner Although they didn't quite scuttle
| her they set her adrift with nose
pointed straight for the shoals of dem
ocracy. And now, it has been discov-
cred that there is at least one traitor
| in the forecastle, while others are sus-
pected.
The country is still gasping over the
recent announcement that the most
aristicratic, used-to-b be Legislative body
in the world numbers among it's MEM
bership q socialist The devil at a
prayer meeting would be less incon- |
gruous AS for the lords themselves, |
they wouldn't have been more dis |
gusted if they had suddenly found they |
had been harboring a suffragette. But, |
even that may come later.
The Right Honorable John Francis
Stanley Russell, Earl Russell, Viscount
Amberley, grandson of Lord Jno. Rus
sci, who was prominently identified
with the reform bill agitation became
prime minister had long been recog
nized as man of progressive ideas and
a friend of the masses, but it was not
until he joined the Fabian society that
he made public confession of his newly
adopted creed. This society is the best
known as well as the oldest socialist
in England and is closely
affiliated with the labor party. The
first line of it's constitution reads,
1.-THE Fabian society consists of So
cialists."
Gives His Reasons.
Explaining his reasons for taking .
this step Earl Russell frankly admitted
that he had become converted to the
idea of placing the control of industry,
and of the means of production, in the J..
hands of society for the benefit of the
people. "And in this connection" he
added, 81 attach special Importance to
he naturalization of land"
The new socialist is land owner,
of limited extent, having in {
erited a bunch of farms of Russell, the
luke of Bedford, is, however, one of 7
he wealthiest landed proprietors in
England, owning something over 3d., =.
90 acres, including large tracts of ex-
eedingly valuable real estate in
bloomsbury and Russell Square, in
he heart of London. AS the family's
lotto is What will be, will be-" it is
ludI Ills 6ldCOo uloIlcoo dl I
ne raising of the red flag over por-
on of his house was tempered with
certain amount of fatalistic COM
Iacency.
Earl Russell's mother was daugh-
II of Lord Stanley of Alderly, anoth
'aristocratic family with sympathetic
anings toward popular movements.
he earl, who is lawyer and quail
I'd electrical engineer, has interested
mself directly in almost every agita-
IN in recent years looking to the bet
rment of the working classes. He is
years old, slight, fair, alert, wears
% eyeglasses instead of one, and in
pearance and manner is anything but
e typical peer. He has served in the
my and dabbled in literature. Up to
tie he has not been a frequent par
ipator in debates on the floor, al
,ugh he Is forceful speaker.
Tried for Bigamy.
rhe most dramatic incident in his =