The San Francisco call., 1904-12-25


place which are Of more than passing
interest because of the striking con-
srasts presented by the successful can
didates and the exhibitions they afford
of the diverse conditions under which
entrance TO the House OF Commons is
.obtained. One of the new members is
self-taught. self-made man Of the
people; the other. a STRIPPING Of a Lord,
whose sole claim 10 distinction at pres
ent is that he has more influential I'll
. ted relatives than any other youth in
the kingdom.
At West Monmouth, in Wales, Thom-
As Richards. a labor candidate, was
elected TO fill the vacancy created by
The death Of the former member. Sir
William Harcourt. At HOrsham, in
sussex, Niscount TurnOur won vic
tory for the Conservative party.
Richards is fOrty-nine years old. He
received little schooling as a youngster
and at twelve years of age was set TO
work in a colliery. He employed his
scanty leisure 10 repair the defects of
as limited education, but from eX-
I perence he learned far more than from
books. He won leadership among his
Fellow Workmen in the coal fields by his
superior ability and the confidence in
spired by his sterling integrity.
in labor troubles with the owners Of
rhe- coal mines he was frequently put
forward as the spokesman OF the wage
. earners. but his influence was invari-
. ably exercised on the side Of restraint
rathsr anan Of Indictment. AS a labor
leader he is distinguished by his mod
'eration: as a speaker. by his mastery
y facts. Since 1902 he has been gen
eraI secretary Of the Miners Fedora
ficn-one OF the most important labor
.rgs nizations in the country. compris-
.ing-ls0:000 adult members and affecting
me livelihood Of 2 quarter Of million
people
Ills friends have good grounds for
their claim that few men are better
1faIifed 20 sit in Parliament as a
-iepresentative of the great wage-earn-
iug class.
JUST PAST TWENTN-ONE.
on anI theory Of representative gov
.rnment-unless il includes schOOlboys
as entitled 10 legislative representation
--ir would be difficult TO find a man less
Q qualified for a seat in Parliament than
ord Turnour. the heir Of the Earl Of
Hvinterton who sits in the House Of
lords He may amount TO a great deal
some dav-st present he is still going
10 school. being an undergraduate at
lixfous His twenty first birthday
was celebrated only last April. With
nut his social position he would not
have stood a chance Of even receiving
nemination.
He is "A grandson Of the first Duke
, Of Abercorn and of the sixth Duke OF
Bedford. his grandmother is the ven
cradle Duchess Of AbercOrn, the doy-
erne of the British peerage. He is
nephew Of the Marquis and Marehfo
ness Of Lansdowne. Of the Duke and
Duchess Of Buccleugh. Of Harriet,
Countess Of Lichfeld and the Marchio-
ness IF Biandford. and has aristocratic
cousins innumera BILE
Po make things easy for him a Con-
servative stronghold was chosen for
. his. political debut. and tremendous So
cial influence was exerted 10 help pull
him through Titled families placed
over q score Of motOT-csrs at his dis
posal for canvassing purposes. and no
limit was placed on his election ex-
penses When the result Of the poll
was announced the Right Hon. Arthur
- I3a3four telegraphed his congratula-
SONS 90 Lord Turnour. and promised to
present him 10 the House Of Commons
when Parliament reassembled.
BABY OF THE COMMONS.
He will be known there as the
baby" the unofficial title always con-
ferred on The youngest member. The
spectacle of the Prime Minister proudly
Introducing the youthful lOrdling, who
ceased TO be a legal infant only few
lnOnths ago. as a fl and well-qualified
person to legislate for the greatest en-
pire on earth viii be an astonishing
one
The election OF Lord Turnour is a
striking illustration, which might be
paraUeIed by a score Of others. Of the
failure Of popular suffrage in England
10 realize the sanguine expectations of
its advocates that ii would result in
electing TO ParIis sment the men best
. fitted 10 represent the various classes Of
the nation. Had not Tom Richards
found a vacancy in q constituency in
which ne was we'll known. and the la
nor vote well organized. he would prob
ably never have succeeded in getting
into Parliament
Cs1 lbe other hand, Lord Turnour. de-
spite his manifest unfitness. because OF
Ms youth du0 mex h)eflence- MOulO nave
had TO wait no longer than the next
general election 10 have obtained the
-pick Of = dozen constituencies where
The same Influences would have assured
his return.
Lord Rosebery's heir. Lord Dalmeny,
the Earl IF Aberdeen's eldest son, the
Earl 81 DartmOuth's born, and
some half-dozen other sons Of peers. not
much older than Lord Turnour. and
equally lacking in the experience that
would m Them for membership in the
House of Commons. have announced
their intention Of running for Parlia-
ment. The way viii be made easy for
them; family and social influence will
rally 10 their support. and most of
them viii undoubtedly ger IN.
LABOR's FEEBLE VOICE.
II is q singular fact that there ara