The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-09-20
A STILL HUNT
Is Being Prosecuted by the Liberal
Party in England

New York, Sept 20.-A dispatch to the
Tribune from London says:
Lord Salisbury has passed a busy day
IN London, holding his usual weekly re-
ception and seeing six or eight ambas-
sailors His health has improved during
his holidays in the Vosges and he has
the manner OF a statesman who con-
SiderS himself equal to any political
emergency and to all anxieties of state.
The Marquis of LanSdoWne is almost
the only colleague who has been closeted
with him during the last "A hours, but
the war Office is the point at which the
press of cabinet reconstruction must
naturally open
Sir william Walrond. the chief gov
eminent whip, has kept a large force of
clerks busy since the announcement Of
the dissolution of parliament was off,
cially confirmed, but that is not proof
that he was taken by surprise or that
the Unionist canvass was not in an ad-
vanced state of preparation Herbert
Gladstone has been in Leeds, where he
had an appointment to address his own
political supporters and the Liberal
headquarters have been deserted. The
Liberals are not making a noisy can
vass, but are conducting what is deSig-
mated in America, as a still hunt.
They do not expect to carry the cleo
tons and. indeed, would be embarrassed
If the unexpected should happen and
they should find themselves in the ma
jority and then be unable to form a
working homogeneous ministery. Their
leading men frankly cOncede a Unionist
must have the responsibility of settling
the war.
What they do expect is that by a care
1u1 and jodicious course Of candidates
and by avoidance Of wasteful contests,
they may be able to reduce the Unionist
majority to fifty or seventy Every ap-
peal TO the electorate is fraught with
surprises and the Liberals NAV do bet
ter than their most hopeful politicians
imagine and without doubt it is true
that the last parliament was more
strongly Unionist than the country and
that the least thirty seats naturally Lib
era1 were captured accidentally. These
seats under normal conditions would be
regained by the Liberals this year, but
as many more are imperilled because
their radical holders We're out of touch
with British policy when the soldiers
OF the queen" were fighting in South
Africa Political experts for this reason
are disposed to believe that Liberal
gains will be balanced by losses and that
the new parliament will be as strongly
Unionist as the old parliament.
While the China question does not en-
ter into the political canvass and, indeed.
IS temporarily laid on the shelf until
Count Won Waldersee can arrive at
Pelzin from Hong Kong to take COM
mand OF the international forces and
save the dignity Of the German empire,
South Africa has again become the GEN.
ter OF public interest General French
has been converted into an electioneer-
ing agent. whose captures Of engines and
military stores are invested with politi-
cal significance and whose arrival at
kOoTna taport is looked for about the
date Of the final nominations for parlia-
ment- Special dispatches describing the
Generalization of the BOer forces and
forecasting a general surrender of the
burghers still in arms are we'll timed
Tor election purposes and the rt1mor has
been revived that Lord Roberts will re-
sign the command and leave General
Butler in charge of the army Of occupa-
ton about the time when the first con-
tests are held in England and Scotland
Lord Roberts is, however, a good soldier
and a poor politician The war is com
Ing to an end, but is not vet finished, as
the siege Of a British garrison for weeks
on the western TransvaaI sufficiently in
dieates and his judgment will be indis-
pensable in the final stages. when police
work is substituted for military cam
paigning and the defeated and desperate
burghers need to be alternately coaxed
and bul1ied into laying down their arms
and a Ia nfIorlins- a hnraaless rr.rail.t