The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-01-20
PROUD PEERAGE
IN SORRY PLIGHT
Socialist Is Member Of the House Of
Lords and That's Enough
Almost to Sink
the Ship.
LORD RUssELL's CASE
is Member Of the Fabian Society and
Was once Found Guilty Of
tho Charge Of
5lSamy.
LORD RUssELL's CASE
by Ed L. Keen, London Correspond

1 by Ed L. Keen, London Correspond
ent Of the United Press.
LONDON. Jan. Englands proud
Old peerage is in sorry plight. 1t
was bad enough when, some sixty
years ago. they began to sign on
!, among the crew OF the venerable yes
sci, House of Lords, miscellaneous
assortment of brewers, butchers.
grocery keepers and other trades
men, the dubious character Of whose
/ family trees was conveniently obscur.
I ed by their golden foliage. Then along
came the buccaneers of the House of
Commons, couple of years age
lThey boarded the ancient craft and
mussed her up in most frightful
manner Although they didn't quite
scuttle her they set her adrift with
nose pointed straight for the shoals OF
democracy. And now, 1t has been
4 discovered that there is at least one
traitor In the forecastle, while others
are suspected
! The country is still gasping over
the recent announcement that the
most aristocratic, usedto-be legisla-
4 tive body in the world numbers among
its membership socialist. The devil
at a prayer meeting would be less in
tcongruous AS for the lords them
I selves, they wouldn't have been more
disguised IL they had suddenly found
/ they had been harboring suffragette.
But. even that may come later
The right Honorable John Francis
STANLEY Russell, Earl Russell, Wis
count Amberley, grandson of Loro
John Russell, who was prominently
identified with the reform bill agita-
ton OF seventy years ago and subse-
quently became prime minister, had
long been recognized as man of pro
gTessive ideas and friend OF the
masses. but it was not until he ioin-
ed the Fabian society that he made
public confession of his newly adopt.
ed creed. This society is the best
known as well as the oldest socialist
Organization in England, and is close
lly affiliated with the labor parry.
/ The first line of its constitution
reads, 8The Fabian Society consists
Of socialists
Explaining his reasons for taking
this step Earl Russell frankly admit
ted that he had become converted TO
the idea of placing the control of the
industry, and of the means OF pro-
duction. in the hands of society for
the benefit of the people. "And in
1 this connection he added. II attach
/ special Importance to the nationalist
/ ton of land
The new socialist is land owner,
although of limited extent, having in
/ herited bunch CT farms in Ireland.
/ The head of the house of Russell. the
Duke of Bedford, is, however. one of
the wealthiest landed proprietors in
England, owning something over So
1000 acres, including large tracts of ex-
lccedingly valuable real estate In
Bloomsbury and Russell Square. in
the heart of London As the family,s
motto Is What will be. will be-" it is !
surmised that his grace's distress at
(! the raising of the red flag over por-
ton OF his house was tempered with
certain amount of fatalistic compla-
cency.
Earl Russell's mother was a daugh.
ter of Lord Stanley, of Alderly, an.
other aristccratic family with sympa-
thetic leanings toward popular move
ments. The earl, who is lawyer
and qualified electrical engineer, has
interested himself directly In almost
every agitation in recent years look
1 ing to the betterment of the working
iclasses. He is As years old, slight,
fair alert. wears two eyeglasses In
stead of one, and in appearance and
manner is ANYTHING but typical peer.
He as served in the army and dab
bled in literature. Up to date he has
not been frequent participator In
debates on the floor, although he is
fcrceful speaker.
The most dramatic incident In his
more or less strenuous career was
his trial for bigamy by the house OF
lords, as the result of which he was
found guilty and sentenced to six
months imprisonment, the sentence
being followed Immediately by a par
don. The offense was technical one.
He had lived unhappily with his first
wife. the daughter of Lady Scott.
There were charges and counter
charges. and unable to get a divorce
in England he went TO America where
after obtaining decree he married the
present Countess Russell, formerly
Miss Mollie Cooke. The house Of
lords refnged to recognize the valid
! ity of the American divorce. and his
trial followed. In this connection, 1t
lis Of interest that he took rather
prominent part in the recent agitation
| in favor Of more liberal divorce Iegis-
Iation.
| Although Earl Russell at present