Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-14

American comment on Great Brit
far-reaching significance in the pass
ing OF the ancient rule OF male pri-
mogeniture, against which Thomas
Jefferson fought successfully at the
founding of the American Republic.
THE new policy" declares the Lin
coin Star. "is likely to have far
reaching consequences, not the least
Of which Will be a material increase
in the production of foodStuffs neceS-
sary to feed the country's population.
The change ought to be a salutary
one TOR the British people. 1t will
help to increase the number of home
owners and to diminish tenancy, And
1t will at the same time greatly en-
large the agricultural domain of
Great Britain by converting lands,
formerly used only as hunting pre-
serves for the nobility, into fields
and pastures for the growing of crops
and the raising of live stock"
England is the last of the Western
civilized nations to adopt this re-
form" says the Asbury Park Press,
| which points out that the same act
abolishes the preference Of male chill
dren over female in inheritance" and
that "all the children are regarded as
equal before the law, in the division
of family property" The Evansville
Courier adds that thus democracy
spreads, and economic sex quality
becomes established; there is no go
ing back on that road"
The relation of this phase of prog
ress to American history is en-
wi
Thomas Jefferson" the Tribune re-
calls, had the courage to stand
against primogeniture and entail in
the Virginia House of Delegates.
taking advanced ground and incur
ring the enmity Of many estate own.
ers. His opposition was, however,
the cause of abolition Of the law in
Virginia, and made 1t possible for the
young republic to begin without a
heavy yoke as this rule of law would
have been. France long saw that a
| never be really free England alone
among the most powerful and en-
| lightened nations. retained 1t.
| Jefferson, the Indianapolis News ex
plains, met strenuous opposition in his
own State, where the English tradition
| was strongly intrenched. Equality
of opportunity continues the News
is no vague. meaningless conception
of the affairs Of men and nations
Without it's increasing application
there can be no guaranty of the maxi
mum in constructive development, re
CARELESS of the field that is considered
What England is about to do is, in the
light of English reverence for the past
revolutionary. Yet the development
Of that great people and the record OF
world progress make it wholly logical.
"Show me that the eldest son car
eat more and produce more than ali
the rest of the family and / will con
cede his right to inherit the entire es
tate of his father" the Davenport,
Democrat quotes Jefferson as replying
to his critics. The Democrat, com
menting on the result, states: "Al
other countries but England chucke6
the idea into the discard long ago. 1,
came up out of feudalism with the
purpose of holding together the big
landed estates of those days. 1t sue
cumbs to the new democracy, which
offers every one a chance and declines
to leave too much in the hands of the
few"
| The Vancouver Sun finds that thu
incident ''foreshortens the perspective
: Of human progress and We touci