Evening star., 1914-05-29
THE BRITISH CRISIS
XIV.-The Liberals and Their
Leaders.
By Frederic J. Haskin.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

LONDON May 11.-"Lucky," Such Is
the characterization of the liberal party
In the realm of King George when
questions are asked about the now domi-
nant political party. whether the inter
rogatory be addressed to friend or foe.
Lucky to stay in office for nine years.
through three successive general cleo
TONS although forced to admit that they
have been able to redeem practically
none of the promises they made before
they took office, Lucky 20 snatch vic
tory from the very Jaws of defeat in
dozen political battles whore destruction
seemed inevitable. Lucky that increased
taxation has been followed only by in
creased prosperity, Lucky that every
hole they dug for themselves was prompt
ly filed up by the opposition before they
could stumble into il. Lucky all around,
So runs the talk away. But the man
up A tree would add that they were
lucky. also. in the possession of Herbert
Henry ASquith. Cautious he holds i'll
check reckless crew. Courageous. he
backs up his daring lieutenants without
compromising their convictions and with
out permitting them to compromise his
counsel Al once forceful and suaNe. he
never makes the mistake of trying to
and as fatal a. to hustle the east He
sets things in motion. permits his
lieutenants to do so. only when he be-
heves there is chance of ultimate sue
cess
The end is the thing to be desired.
The intermediate events do not inter
est him. He watches them. of course.
but his hands are out of il. His coun-
sci is: Wait and See.'
Many times he has let the ship of
state drift on toward the reefs, while
his own followers cried out for him
TO port the helm, and his opponents
charged him with deliberate design to
wreck the craft. But the reefs proved
to be merely wind reefs. and the cap
tain sailed through. calm.
At other times more reckless men
have been at the helm for the moment
and have headed
At Helm in Time straight for the
to Avoid Rocks. tbeNs ,ns c.,,a'n ,nrn t%ne frnna
below and changed the course-an As
Guith to the rescue He always waits,
il is true. But he always sees.
Undoubtedly Mr.. Asquith has shared
the fortunes of his party in drifting
more and more toward the left in his
political and social ideas. He was
never a conservative, as was Gladstone
in the beginning, but he perhaps was
q moderate. The extreme radical would
say he was tainted with whiggery. AS
time has gone on he has developed more
definitely the theories that are perhaps
more boldly proclaimed by Lloyd George
and Churchill
1t is impossible to say with exacti-
tude what are his ideas with respect
to social reform, except that they are
radical. He has had to fight political
fights, and he conceives it to be his first
duty to ge the machinery of govern
ment into such shape that the democ-
racy may actually control il. To that
end he has determined upon the aboli-
ton of the house of lords. the aboli-
tion of plural voting and the removal
Of the veXfng Irish question from Brit
ish politics by the grant of home rule.
1t is tremendous program. wider in
scope and deeper in significance than
was ever attempted by any of his pro-
gressive predecessors.
That success is apparently within his
grasp is due, no doubt, as they all say,
to luck. But great part of it is due to
AsqIith
The liberal party had its birth in the
radical movement of the third decade of
the nineteenth century. The radicals then
had but one theory and that was the
liberation of the house of commons from
the corrupt control of the lords 1t was
done
The hungry forties' brought about the
revolt against the corn laws and the pro-
tective tariff and resulted in a radical
coalition between the wealthy rnanufac-
turers and the starving laborers that
finally achieved free trade. The move
ment set on foot by Golden and Bright
apparently would lead to a triumph of
democracy, since the aristocrats for the
moment were unhorSed.
But there was reaction. Sons and
daughters of wealthy radicals married
into county families and began to go in
society Their whig traditions kept
them in the liberal party. but party diff
ferences were not marked. 1t was said
that conservative government meant a
government by elder sons and a liberal
government a government by younger
sons. but they were all of family
And the democracy was not democratic
as to Ireland. There was intense racial
and religious prejudice that prevented a
ready acceptance of the home rule prirl-
ciple even among the more democratic
elements.
Mr.. Gladstone was suddenly converted,
however, and he brought in home rule.
Anarchy in Ireland had had it's effect.
Then was the occasion of the great bolt
Of section of the liberal party led by
Joseph Chamberlain. 1t was not so much
the cause as the occasion. and it left the
liberals apparently poor in leadership,
but certainly much purer in democratic
intent. They went out Of office. returned
years later under Gladstone, again at
tempted to give ireland home rule, lost
their grand old man and put up Lord
Rosebery to lead them. They were led
to defeat.
During the long conservative regime
that followed every variety of reform
propagandist was
All the Disgruntled attracted to the
Become Liberals. opposl'lol'. every