The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-16

hUE to the spirit OF make-be-
4 lieve which characterizes parlia-
mentarism the transition from the
Baldwin Government to the MacDon-
aid Government had to be carried thru
with all the Journalism and ceremonial
associated with the change of Gov
ernments. The Baldwin Government
made the Kings speech as if it were
going to carry on for generations.
The King and his horses trotted up
to the House of Lords to open the
proceedings in all majesty as did the
kings of old. Standing before his
throne he read to his Lords and
Commons the strange shopkeeper's
document in all seriousness, asked
Gods blessing upon everybody and
departed. The commoners ran back
to their own little show where the
king is not permitted to attend and
began to repeat the performance in
there own sweet way.
Two members Of the Conservative
Party dressed in the Court dress Of
centuries ago gravely attempted to
represent no party, and read the
speech to the House of Commons in
the language of the age their dress
represented thus:
II beg to move: THAT an humble
address be presented to His Majesty
as followeth:
Most Gracious Sovereign,
We, Your Majesty's most dutiful
and loyal subjects in the United
Kingdom of Great Britain, in Par
lament assembled, beg leave to offer
our humble thanks to Your Majesty
for the Gracious Speech which your
Majesty has addressed to both
Houses of Parliament
After this most moving resolution
the mover proceeded, Dressed as
must be in the mode of the age of
Fontenoy and girt, as ! am, with the
weapon of that age, it is not my
duty to commence the onslaught, but
rather, having made a few observa-
tons on the Gracious Speech, to
make what believe has been called
the gesture of Fontenoy and say to
honorable Members opposite: Gen
tlemen of the Guard, fire first"
He then made references to the
resolutions of the Imperial Confer
enee and considered them binding
upon the Parliament. Of course, he
got disillusioned on that matter
later, but observe the affectionate
terms with which he spoke of the
Dominions. "Of those Dominions we
may well say: The lot is fallen unto
us in fair place; we have a goodly
heritage What, one wonders,
would any other nation in Europe, in
these times of darkness and distress.
give for those vast territories and
varied resources which are at our
commando"
And so the game went on and con-
cluded with final prayer that they
would be worthy of "the blessing
which His Majesty invokes upon
them" Then followed another in
court dress of the same period who
also pleaded, "The main theme which
runs thru the Gracious speech from
the throne is the plea for stability
Without that neither our Imperial de-
velopment nor our foreign relations
nor our home reforms can possibly
proceed on their steady course Of
growth and Improvement"
Then Mr.. Macdonald continued the
first act to its conclusion by flatter
ing congratulations to the mover and
seconder of the resolution for the ad
mirable performance. He said, "StilI
my function, my duty, in congratulate.
ing the mover and seconder of the
address to his Gracious Majesty i.
most sincere, after listening to the
two honorable members today"
Then the fun began on the TWEEN
tieth century platform. Macdonald
began at once to strip the address Of
what he called, "the stock in trade
of a penny bazaar" This he did as