Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-03-31

Lord Kitchener became war secretary.
n hey lost a strong man when Sir
RufuS lSaacs left the cabinet to be-
come HE Justice. 1t was my good
fortune to be present in the house of
on the night that the home
rule Dill passed for he second time.
me cabinet ministers were all pres
ent and every seat was aiken. l
neafd the rather boisterous and boast
,ui partisan speeches that came from
ooth sides In the fore part OF the eve
ana eloquent speech by an Ulster
member IN a final appeal on behalf of
Ulster. And then from among his
associates upon the treasury bench
arose the tall. dramatic figure of Sir
Iu1us isaacs, the attorney general. to
government. His speech was replete
WIN e%loquence and logic. and | felt a
lusl PRIDE when he quoted from Il great
american statesman. and later | felt
ne must have had our own struggle
for independence in mine when he
spoke of the miraculous strength that
was sometimes displayed by those who
lousht for independence and liberty.
lhen came the division. And when
IL was announced that the bill had
again carried, l saw the pleased smiles
or the cabinet ministers. | heard the
glad shouts of the majority. and the
Jubllant cheering of the Irish members.
Perhaps 1t was the sentiment which
youth IS heir to. but AS l walked. in the
early morning, through the deserted
streets TO my lodgings. it seemed To me
that | had seen a strong and sturdy
blow struck for human rights and lib
erty upon the spot where western lib
erty was born.
Religious Prejudice.
| heard much i'm regard to the home
RUE question when in England. and
1 VISITED Ulster and also southern Ire
land, and l wish to say that it is my
candid opinion that there are no argu-
ments against home rule. Except those
that are prompted by religious preju-
dice. I think 1 heard about as irration-
al talk In Ulster as l ever heard. but
there is no use arguing with ar Ulster
lite. for where that g~reen-eyed monster.
religious prejudice creeps in. reason
at once departs, n that applies here
at home. as we'll as in Ireland. I did
not see the house Of lords in session,
for 1t is hard to obtain admission, and
they are not very important. except as
a curiosity, and this is especially true
since the passage OF the parliament or
veto act in 1910. which provides that if
a bill Is passed at three consecutive
sessions of parliament. by the house of
commons. it becomes a law. regardless
of the veto of the house OF lords.
Formerly the English government was
a government of checks n balances.
and this principle has been handed
down to us. and to all of the British
colonies: but although the British COL
onles and ourselves have firmly re-
tanned the principle, England herself
has abandoned it.
The king has not used the veto
power for over 100 years. the teeth of
the house of lords has been pulled. and
there is no court that can declare a
law unconstitutional. So the power of
the house of commons, which is elected
by the people, is absolute. So the far
FAMED government OF checks INC ball
ances has been r%epudiated by the very
government that originated it. A re-
view OF our history will prove that a
government Of checks and balances is
as much of a failur with us as it is in
England: for it has proven a valuable
friend of slavery before the war, and
Of special privilege since that time.
Surely the best and most democratic
government would be a government of
one legislative branch, with a small
membership, and with business like
rules of procedure. a body which would
be absolute in legislative power. elected
by the people and kept close to them by
the initiative. referendum n recall.
Slow and easy going as we are in
clined to regard the English people.
they are years II years ahead of us in
a number of things. There are some
things which we call reforms that they
have had SO long that they have most
forgotten when they first obtained
them. The income tax, postal savings
bank. postal telegraph. parcel post,
commission form of city government,
and governmental control Of the cur
rency-they have had for years and
years. If you would tell an English
man that those things are radical, and
advance some of the arguments that we
hear at home against them. / am afraid
that he would think hat you were "A
most extraordinary chap"
Railroads Are Meek.
England has not Joined the rest OF
Europe In government ownership of
railroads, but then the railroads are
very meek over there. easy to control,
and they do not have many accidents.
II this was not true. / am inclined
to think that England would not waste
much time in Joining the countries of
the continent in government ownership
of railroads.
Another thing we must confess with
shame is that there is much more cor
ruption in politics n in governmental
matters in the United States than in
England, but as we are improving, and
as a comparison would not be to our
credit. perhapssft Is best not to make
one. While I ave pointed out the
things In which the English excel. 1t
must not for a moment be supposed
that l am trying to make ar unfa-
vorable comparison of the United
States with England. for I fully realize
the English lack Of opportunity, their
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