Evening star., 1915-01-24

throughout without even the Formally
of vote.
The same unity of purpose was evil
dent in all other branches of the par
liamentary work. Before the war there
were Two questions which had really
aroused the passions of some at least
of the British politicians so keenly
that they would not play golf together.
that if the opposing forces met on the
green, golf clubs would be used as
implements of warfare. These two
questions were the position of Ulster
under the home rule act and the discs
tablishment and disendowment of the
Anglican church in Wales. In this last
parliament, however, we saw John
Redmond and Sir Edward Carson sit
ting side by side in amicab1e confer
ence over the best methods for bucking
up recruiting in Ireland. and Lord
Huch Cecil. who, a few weeks bfore
was describing the liberal party a
gang of church robbers. paying high
compliments to its energy and ability
in taking measures to prevent unem-
ployment and distress arising out of
the war.
Even the labor party, which prides it.
self on being the pariah of politics.
came into line. 1t has been anti-mili-
tarist but its leaders met and issued a
manifesto calling on able bodied young
workmen to join the colors. Some of
the labor members of parliament
Joined themselves and two or three of
them have received commissions. There
was some talk of strikes in the mining
and shipbuilding trades. The leaders
announced that any man who downed
tools in this national emergency was
blackleg not only to labor but to his
among carpenters at work on army
huts on Salisbury Plain and another
among saddlers at work on army con-
tracts. but the men were literally
whipped back to work by their own
leaders, and afterward the govern
ment, which the labor men have been
denouncing day in and day out as the
willing tool of the capitalists. insisted
that wages be raised by the con-
tractors.
If an Englishman. who was keenly
interested in politics and social move
ments had gone to sleep six months
ago and walked up last week he would
have been justified in thinking that
something like what is described by H.
q. Wells in his story. I'm the Days of
the Comet" had come to pass. In this
story vapor. accompanying the comet,
enveloped the earth and when it clear
ed away it took with IT all the envy.
hatred and uncharitableness in the
world. Perhaps it Is too much to say
that this has happened in England in
private affairs, but in public matters
it is uncommonly near being true.
The fact is that we are living now
under as near an approach as possible
to the ideal government carried on by
the best men in the country for the
public good alone. 1t is fair to as
sumo, l suppose, that the men chosen
by all the great parties to lead them.
taken collectively. are the best and
ablest men in the country. AS rule
in England they are patriotic men, but
they have become SO blinded by the
rules of the party game and by their
class prejudices that they have allowed
party and class to take the place of
nation in their vocabulary.
Every vestige of party government
now has passed away in every depart
ment of the state. We have already
seen how Austen Chamberlain. the
high priest of a protective tariff and
of tory finance generally, went to the
treasury as the volunteer assistant Of
his great rival, Lloyd George. and
shared with him not only the work of
safeguarding England s financesand in
creasing her income. but also took on
himself full share Of the responsible