[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOlt."]
SIE,—Now that you have so effectually brought Mr. Lloyd George to book for his uncomplimentary references to the origin and constitution of the House of Lords, I trust you will not omit to notice the choice epithets contained in the speeches of Mr. F. E. Smith, K.C., and Sir Edward Carson, K.C., both of which were, I believe, delivered on December 9th, and reported in some of the daily papers on December 10th. The Star of December 10th, I am told, contains the ipsissima verbs of Sir Edward Carson's choice effort, while most of the morning papers declined to publish his speech in full on the ground that the language was unprintable. What do you
[We have no wish whatever to defend strong language in Sir Edward Carson or Mr. F. E. Smith. As a matter of fact, we have already condemned it in both those speakers (Spectator, December 3rd, p. 960). But while not wishing to apologise for Unionist misdeeds, we must point out that intem- perance of language is very much more reprehensible in a person holding a great public trust, and paid by the whole nation to discharge that trust, than in a party orator, who has no responsibility towards the nation. We are democratic enough to think that noblesse oblige should apply to all Ministers of State.—En. Spectator.]
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