The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-10
WASHING Ton
REPORT
BY CHARLES p. STEWART
Central Press COlumnist)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-Washington's con-
gressmen are considerably interested in Cana
da's coming general election. They don't par
ticularly care how it results. What intrigues
their attention is the difference between the
Canadian system and our own. The two are
alike in many particulars, but there also are
several odd variations between them. Some of
them wonder how the Canuck method of con-
Quoting a national plebiscite would work on
our side of the border.
The Canadian plan is borrowed from Eng
land.
When the English elect a parliament they
elect it, theoretically, for five years lit used
to be seven). The recognized leader of the win
ming party becomes premier, corresponding to
our president. The king doesn't signify. He's
a mere figurehead. It's the premier's admins
tration. But suppose, before the five years
are up, public and parliamentary opinion swings
away from the administration? Thereupon the
disconnected parliamentary element passes a
vote Of "censure" of the administration, or of
lack of confidence in it.
The premier then is expected to call another
popular election. 1t doesn't matter that the five
years haven't expired. If the election goes
against the administration the winning side has
the parliamentary majority, and takes over the
premiership, the cabinet and the administration
An administration never defies a vote of cen
sure" If it did it would be liable to start a
revolution.
In Wilson's Day
President Woodrow Wilson was a great be.
lever in the English system, because it makes
for a very flexible government. When congress
refused to indorse the World Wa settlement
that his administration had acquiesced in and
to vote the United States into the League of
Nations, he went to the country" as the
English describe these off-year elections.
That is to say, he was in the midst of his
own second term, but it was a congressional
o1ootion voor Go 1v cnaocboS ond ofhor opnao1S
to the voters, he tried to get his kind of con.
gressional majority onto Capitol Hill. He failed.
In England that would have meant the un.
successful administrations immediate retire.
ment, with a new one, under some such presi-
dent as William E. Borah, Hiram w. John
son or James A. Reed, three of the anti Wilson
programs leaders, coming into office.
Here no such rule prevailed. Consequently,
President Wilson had the remainder of his
term to serve out, repudiated. 1t was an I'M.
pleasant interval. English precedent would have
eliminated it.
Premier Mackenzie King
Well, as to Canada.
William Lyon Mackenzie King is premier
virtually president. Lord T~weedsmuir, the gov.
ernor general, is of no consequence.
Mackenzie Kings a Liberal. Against him
are the Conservatives, in a minority in the
Canadian parliament. However, there also are
Liberals who oppose Mackenzie King, just as
there are antl-NeW Deal Democrats who op-
pose President Rooseyelts policies. One of this
bunch is Mitchell F. Hepburn. Hepburn isn't a
member of the federal parliament. He's pre-
mier Of the province Of Ontario. His place
corresponds to that of the governor of any
one Of our states.
Hostile to Mackenzie King, Hepburn manag.
ed to wangle through the Ontario parliament
mot the same thing as the federal parliament,
but the counterpart Of one of our state legis-
latures) a vote Of censure' Of Kings present
Canadian support of Britain and france against
Germany-it's been very inefficient, according
to Hepburn.
Now, if this vote Of censure' had been a
federal vote there'd have been no question
but that Mackenzie King must yield to it, but
Ontario's lone vote wasn't binding on him.
Was 1t just A Bluff?
The superstition, according to Canadian news
tario premier believed Mackenzie King sure
to win on an all-Canadian vote and didn't
want to precipitate a general election.
The correspondents dope is that Hepburn's
scheme was to scare Mackenzie King into
agreeing to a coalition Canadian cabinet. Their
argument is that Hepburn doesn't care much
about the war-that his notion essentially is
to get a handful of his political crew in, to in
fluence domestic Canadian tendencies.
But Mackenzie King accepted the 'cesure
vote" as the genuine article.
The Canadian premier called a general cleo
ton. The correspondents are pretty sure that
Mackenzie King will win, despite that On
tario 'censure." They believe that Hepburn
thinks so, too-and is desperately sore because
his bluff it was a bluff-was called.
in more solid than ever.