The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-03-07 00:00:00

attb 9istrict 4etes.

THE FORMATION-. OF A LIBERAL

ASSOCIATION.

A large meeting was held at the Vine Hotel,
on Nlonalay evening, with a view of forming a
Liberal Association forStourbridge. there was a
fair attendee°. Mr. C. Cochrane presided, and
said they were met together to take steps to
recover the ground which they lust at the late
election. There Was an association called the
East Worcestershire Liberal Association, and
the member.' of that association would be glad
to have the assistance of local associations such
as it was proposed to form in Stourbridge. It
was by close attention to the register that they
would recover lost ground, and the register must
be attended to year by year, and not merely for
one year or two, if this was to be done.—Mr.
J. B. Shephord moved that an association be
formed, to be called the Stoubridge Liberal
Association. He said they had no desire to per.
petoete the memory of electioneering squabbles,
eel teeir only rivelay with the Cons-frvatives
was which should serve their country best. At
present tile Liberal party stood in the position
of her Majesty'e Opposition, and one of the
means of restoring them to their former position
would be by forming a good, carefully
considered, and consolidated Liberal opinion
neon all questions of national interest arising
from political dissuasion. (Hear, hear). To
maintain the Liberal Cause, what they most ur-
gently required was a clear and distinct appre-
hension of Liberal principals. 'I he Gladstone
Geverninent were meet successful when they had
toe Liberal opinion of the country at their back
ant they were unsuccessful in cases where the
Liberal party throughout the country had not '
been either sufficiently aroused to the importance
of the matter in hsird. The Rev. D. Maenads,
iii secouding the resolution, said it Was not npou
the merits et the great questions at issue be-
two,. the Literal awl Coueervative parnee lb it
they were defeated at the last election, and he
believed teet the heart and coal of the notion
Wit liberal to-day its in 1867, when Mr. Giod-
feone lied so large a majority. It was ti Mr.
Gladstone' credit that he was in a minority, nut
it WAS because he attempted to legislate for the
interests of tic nation rather than fir the jute.
rests of any p tete, however infleential, that lie
was in his present position. lie dealt with
abuses, and no man could do so without, exit.
lug hostility. It was desirable that there should
be formed all over the country Liberal la.:seen-
such as they nroposed to establish at
Stourbridge. There had been a large and
iefluential Liberal committee taking care .4 East
Worcestershire, but it had been impossible for
that committee to come down among the rink
and file, and to secure their co-operation in
what that committee hail at heart. He hoped
the formation of local eseoci diens w 016.1
peen .te their coallibm obj. et, iohl that they
seeul l plant a tree which would take root and
I. ea fruit in the future. We. Peckwo it seppor-
tel the resole ion, pointiug out the importance
of working men eesociating the eselves with the
movement. The resolution was then carried.—
Mr. If. linebes proposed that draft rules be pro-
visionally adopted, and that a treasurer and
secretary be appointed pro. tem., to receive the
'melee and eubseriptions of members. Mr.
Lewis seconded the motion, which was carried.
—Mr. 0. Perry Was appointed treasurer, Mr.
'i secretary. fled a tieilleit tee of twelve
- eointed :0 rove., the preeisieual
'bee rules.—
Vu a aie I ii 3 .. n. on Mout-
23r)i- Uis, at Um listioa 11•11.

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