Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-28

its ninth wear of uninterrupted power.
apparently negatives this ordinary RUE.
In fact, it only proves it. This paradox
lies in the fact that despite the boosted
claims for responsible parliamentary
government and for the flexibility OF
the British constitution, the actual gov
eminent is so slowly responsive to polltl.
cal change that the liberals have not had
enough of actual power TO cause tne re-
action toward conservatism to set IN.
They have been at the head OF the
government for nine years. Leaving
aside self-government for South Africa:
not one single law that they advocated
in 1.s5 has yet reached the statute books
Home rule. Welsh establishment.
plural voting abolition. temperance re
form. education reform. all the things
that were promised in 1900 are sun un-
accomplished Winston Churchill. hrst
lord of the admiralty, made this state
ment on the floor of the house in dis
cussing the Ulster question 1T is quite
true The legislative achievements oil
the present government are practcaliy
confined to the peoples budget of 1919
which was carried by PRACTICAL revolu-
,ion and the definite coercion of the
lords. and the national insurance act.
which was carried by conservative con-
sent and has proved most unpopular.
The government has been almost as in
effective on the administrative side as on
the legislative,
Permanent Officials for the reason
Govern the Country. Of , admInistra-
ton here carries with it only the chan@e
of the cabinet heads, who have dlrectofs
supervision over their departments pot
must spend most of every DAY III 'ie
house of commons. The permanent OH
cials actually conduct the business OF the
country. and in administrative analrs
govern the government. The vast ma
iority of these permanent othcIais are
conservatives, who have carried out the
policies of liberal ministers with cool
lack of enthusiasm. looking to the letter
that kileth instead of the spirit that
maketh alive.
The house of lords being overwhelm-
inslv conservative has blocked all I'D
eral legislation. The effort to get afouhd
this has been met by the parliament act
but even that gives the lords the power
to delay for two years. while ther TEL
low-conserva tives in the lower house cry
out for general elections and appeals 10
the people on each individual measure
This practical demonstration of the m
ability of liberal government to MAKE
anv Roadway without the consent of the
partv of the aristocracy has tended 10
convince liberals of even the more moo
crate type that this country really IS
ruled by the aristocrats That has caused
them, and the whole party. sraaualiE u
become more and more radical. This tact
has operated to lessen the breach between
them and the labor party. 50 that II IS
lust now well nigh invisible. .
The opposition in every parliament Is
always party of negation. but in this
instance the definition applies with more
than incidental force. The conservative
party is tory 1t doesn't believe in change
II is content with things as they are
Consequently. it opposes new measures
-. y matter of course Even in office and
in power it is a party Of negation.
When the general dissatisfaction that
grew out of the Boer war resulted IN