The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-23
UPSET OF BRITISH PARTIES.
COMPLETE REORGANIZATION rs
DESIRED BY THE PEOPLE.
Ne Immediate Enect Expected From Lord
Resebery's Declaration Machine Rule
Check on EN- orts for Reform Clean
slate, wanted when War u Over.
Special Cab. Despatch 10 THE SUN.

!sp,sai Cable Dsspoieh 10 THE sus.
IorpoN. Feb. 22.-1he attention of Eng
,.bmen /. absorbed In the political situa-
ton. The weak opposition has now been
definitely ~subdivided. though in what
nropor,ion is not yet clear, by Lord Rose
bery's declaration.
The country at large Ia anxious TO de-
clara old issues dead and to r~eorganize
both parties on entirely new lines Inc
liberal party is openly disrupted, ana the
I'nionist party secretly 10 as IL only awaits
the close Of the war for the Conservatives
10 demand "a clean slate a. insistently
a. Lord Rosebery has done.
This discomfort In both parties applies
m the whole rank and file and not to the
managers OF the machine. II shout be
remembered that British politics are more
machine-ridden than American. The vul-
ear term Of 'boss" IL unknown In English
POLITICAL nomenclature. but the thing itself
~syi.,s and its rule is more arbitrary than
o. The United States. What Congress
d,.,,Jc, in Illinois, for instance. would
,nis,s,e having the candidate of each party
non.rssident-selected by the Republican
"a Democratic Central Committees at
Wellington? Such, however. is the help
,... position OF most English constitu-
encies,
This combined with the great national
scandal whereby some districts have three
or four times the population OF others,
makes the British Parliament one OF the
least representative national
IN the world. II II obvious, therefore,.
that Lord Rosebery's declaration OF IN
tentiop 10 form a new party involves enorm-
our practical difficulties.
Let il be assumed that Lord Rosebery
has half the country al his back. There
Is no way by which they can give political
effect TO their wishes until a general cleo
,ion four or FIVE years hence. Even then
their ST rength would be largely dissipated
owing to the im~possibility of getting con-
trcl Of either political machine
I, must be said. therefore. that the i'm
mediate effect Of Lord Roscbery's declara-
lion Is practically nil. He will gain a hand
fl OF adherents from the present Liberal
members Of Parliament. including such
undoubtedly strong leaders A. Sir Edward
Grey. Mr.. II. II Asquith and Sir Henry
Fowler. II is not to be- expected that he
will secure a single recruit from the Con-
seryatives or Liberal-U nionists, although
many members OF those parties partially
sympathize with linn. II is against human
nature in politics more than In any other
calling. TO desert the winning side,
Nevertheless, Lord Rosebery's ire
mendous public welcome wherever he has
appeared should give far-seeing states
men a significant indication Of the temper
Of the country almost withou, regard 10
partv. Leaders on both sides utterly
fail 10 realize that a genuine political rev.
olution has taken place in the rank and
file Of the British public.
Sir Henry Campbell arnerman Is blind
est Of all to the truth. II is safe to say
that his days Of political leadership, even
81 a Radical bobtail party. are numbered.
Il vas only as a link between the divisions
az Liberals that he was acceptable; and
now that the split has come the Radicals
are likely soon to show a preference for
some one Of their own ilk. Still. Sir Henry
Campbell BannerInan controls the machine,
and it will not he easy to displace him even
when he has ceased to satisfy anybody.