The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-09-22
MANY ARE ANGRY
Lord Salisbury Arouses the Ire
of Various Glasses
By Precipitating an Election at
the Present Time.
ARE DISFRANCHISED.
Thousands Are in Position to
Lose Their Votes.
Stock Brokers and Publishers
Also Disgruntled.
ARE DISFRANCHISED


London, Sept. 22-The political cam
paign has commenced in earnest Only
another week remains before the polling
begins and it will be only a little over
f1ve weeks before the new parliament
assemblies That it will be a conserva-
tive body is a foregone conclusion. Mr..
Herbert Gladstone admits that it is
quite impossible for the liberals to win
over the 160 seats necessary to give them
a victory. Thus from the outset the
election loses it's interest practically re-
solving itself into an opportunity for
politicians on both sides to air their
views and to discuss the momentous
issues of the last year untrammeled by
the conventionalitieS of St. Stephens
This outbreak of oratory, judged from
the initial stage, promises to develop no
new or startling facts.
The conservatives confine their ener-
gies to a defense of the war in South
Africa and of it's management; while the
liberals attempt to ignore it, making
their attacks upon the failure of the
conservatives to fulfill the promises of
beneficial home legislation. Though this
is officially the liberals main plank, the
division of the ranks over the war is so
great that it is quite impossible to keep
all the candidates in line. Thus, while
Sir Edward Grey and the Right Hon.
H. H. Asquith and others are telling the
voters that it is useless to discuss the
war and admitting the annexation of the
Boer republics is the only logical out
come, Mr.. Morley and other well known
members of the party are telling them
that the war was unnecessary and that
the annexation of the republics is a blot
upon England's fair name. On one
point, however, the liberals all unite;
and that point is the unfairnesS of Lord
Salisbury in bringing about a dissolu-
tlon at the present moment when the
register of 1899 is expiring, so that thus
all who were not registered over two
years ago are disfranchised. The new
register comes into force in February.
Thousands are affected, and the liberals
maintain that Lord Salisbury's action is
not only without precedent, but it is un-
constitutional. On the other hand, the
conservatives claim that Lord Salisbury
acted fairly as, had he waited until af-
ter February, he would have the un-
doubted advantage of the votes of SOL
diers returning from South Africa.
In their wrath that the election was
precipitated with so little warning the
liberals are not alone. Business men,
regardless of party, are furious over the
disintegration of trade which always
accompanies election contests. Publish
erS, for instance, after a wretched year,
seeing the war in South Africa ending
and affairs on China becoming more
quiescent, made all preparations for a
revival of trade. Just as they were be-
ginning to put new books out, the an
nouncement of the dissolution of parlia-
ment came like a thunderclap, spelling
all their prospects. The stock exchange,
on the same grounds, has got great
grievance against Lord Salisbury, as it
will be well into December before the
public can be expected to take a keen
interest in stocks.
The question of home rule, except in
ireland, is scarcely mentioned Mr.. Her
Leeds, advises his constituents to let
the matter rest; but the Earl of Sand
wich strikes much franker note, in re-
nouncing his adherence to the govern
inc 11n -o7 IF a
liberals because home rule" is dead.
A miniature bomb has been thrown
into the conservative camp by the nb-
eral Morning Leader, which publishes a
lengthy story showing that the wife,
sons and daughter of Mr.. Joseph Cham
berlain the secretary of state for the
colonies, hold almost all the shares of
the firm of Hoskins Sons, contractors to
the admiralty Among the sons holding
large amounts of the stock is Mr.. j.
Austen Chamberlain (the eldest son of
the secretary who is civil lord OF the
admiralty. To put a worse complexion
on the matter it is pointed out that there
are no HOSkinS now connected with the
business which is practically family
concern and apparently prosperous The
only answer so far VouchSafed to the
accusations is letter from Mr.. Cham
berlain's secretary, saying the minister
is not disposed to notice the cowardly
insinuation contained in an indirect
charge"
Mr. Chamberlain in the new cabinet,
the supposition being that the Marquis
of Lansdowne will retire and also that
Mr. Chamberlain will then have Lord
Roberts as commander-in-chief and
Lord Kitchener as adjutant general.
Earl Halsbury, the lord high chancellor;
Earl Cadogen, the lord lieutenant of
Ireland; viscount Cross, the lord privy
seal and Mr.. William Court Gully, the
speaker of the house of commons, are
all said to be likely to retire.
Another American innovation will
shortly appear in London in the shape
of 250 1aundries run by American en-
ployes and with American machinery.
How greatly the British government
profits by death can be judged by the re-
turns of the estate duties for 1899-00
Just issued. They show that nearly
fourteen million pounds were added to
the exchequer from this cause The total
sum bequeathed by 65,341 persons
amounted to over 282 million pounds, or
half the national debt. Twelve million
aires paid tolls to the amount of two