The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-03-02
BY JOHN VANDERcooK.

CIV WIN
LONDON. - For the last IS
months everyone in England has
from day to day expected to see
the cabinet resign and the liberals
step into power. When Lord Sails
bury resigned it was said that Bal
four could not keep things going a
month. When, some time later,
Chamberlain left the cabinet, it
was said Balfour could not last
week. Since then he has never
been given more than a days
grace by the prophets, but has
held on in spite of everything.
When the last election was held
near the end of the Boer war. the
Conservatives Secured a majority
of $50 over both Liberals and Irish
Nationalists. In the period of three
years since then great number
of members have died or resigned,
an devery few weeks there has
been a by-election. In every one
of these elections where the Lib
erals had a ghost of a chance they
have won, and Balfours majority
has been
Steadily Pulled Down
until today it is never more than
60 and on several occasions has
not exceeded 10.
Under the English constitution
parliaments may continue for
seven years, or they may be dis
solved at any time and new cleo
ton ordered. Should Balfour en-
deavor to hold out for the full
seven years, his majority would
gradually dwindle until it disap-
peared altogether. Affairs have
come to the point where political
issues are almost forgotten in the
general publis irritation at Bal
four's stubbornness. The country
is tired of him and wants to get
him out at any price.
The real purpose Of his holding
on has been to enable Jos. Cham
berlain to convert the country
from free trade to protection. Bal
four has adopted neutral attitude,
so as to hold the support of Con-
sentative free traders as well as
the new protectionists, and keep
the chair warm for Chamberlain,
who in the event of protection
victory would be the next prime
minister.
But Chamberlain's campaign has
up to date been a miserable fail
ure. He made the great mistake OF
not sticking to the ideas or theor-
les Of American protectionists,
that protection should be for man
ufacturers and for the working
man. Instead of this, Chamber
lain desired to protect the British
colonies at the expense of the Brit.
ish consumer. He planned to tax
food coming into .ngland from for.
eign countries and to let it in from
the colonies free. This
Meant Higher Prices
for every Englishman, with nc
particular advantage to the work
ing classes that anybody could
make out. Finally both the Balfour
and Chamberlain men have been
forced to admit that their cause
for the moment is hopeless, and
they might as well let the Liberals
into power.
All Conservatives believe that
the Liberals will make a mess of
things, and that tn country will be
glad have the Conservatives
back, protection and all
Everyone being sure that the
Liberals will win. all are interest.
ed in who the Liberals are: The
nominal leader of the party is Sir
Henry Campbell Bannerman. He
is a quiet, plodding Scotchman
who never does or says anything
the least brilliant, or is ever able
to get a spontaneous cheer out of
a crowd. But he took hold of the
party when it was in hopeless
minority and has brought it to a
point where everyone admits it is
bound to win. The Liberals feel
they owe him a great debt of graf
itude, but at the same time do not
want him to be prime minister.
The place they have selected for
him is secretary of war
The most likely candidate at this
time for the Liberal premiership
is Lord Spencer. He is strikingly
handsome, of genial manners, and
Has Done Good Party Work
In the upper house, where there
are scarcely a bakers dozen of Lib.
erals out of a membership of 900
But as most of these Liberal peers
attend to their duties, while very
few of the Tory peers attend to
theirs, the Liberals make a fair
showing.
Lord Spencer, however, is an
old man, and his political ideas are
those of Gladstoneian Liberals
long before Chamberlain appeared
on the scene with his protection