The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-21
i|NDN'ATI0N IS SEEN
FOR IcHAMBERL A|N \. |.
Ba1four's opportunism AND Prog
ress of Workingmen as Causes
Of Liberal Victory.
by Publishers Press.

by Publishers Press.
8 London, Jan. 20.-In the mass of
conflicting opinion as to the signif-
cance of the parliamentary elections,
two conclusions may be drawn without
much danger that they will be reversed
by later events.
+ One is that Mr.. Balfour's oppor-
ltunism was the leading cause of the
unionist debacle and the other is that
the British workingman has taken
long stride toward the goal of better
social conditions.
/! That is to say, Chamberlainism, def
mite, fearless and well considered, has
vindicated his claim to be a safer
party program than Balfourism, and
labor, long ignored by the tory and
The old line. wing, has justified the
contention of John Burns sixteen years
ago, that organized political action
lon the part Of the working classes will
finally create party which all others
will have reason to respect and some
others will have reason to fear
"Foreshadowed Socialism,
How far the element of fear should
enter into the calculations of the priv
ileged classes, now that the labor rep
Tesentatives have made such remark
able gains, is nice calculation. The
tories of the reactionary type-men
like Lord Hugh Cecil, to have beaten
whom is such keen pleasure to Mr..
Chamberlain on fiscal grounds-talk
angrily of 'fforeshadowed socialism. -
They pretend to see menace to vest
ID w. hts ~ Of
Burns in the cabinet and in the enc
farious activity Of the communistic
Keir, Hardie," chief Of the independ-
ent labor party and soul Of the labor
movement in Britain; and they assert
that Sir Henry bell-Bannerman Is
big battalions are "more than half
infected with the virus Of the German
social democracy ~ f..~
There is much buncombe about all oil
this. AS matter of fact, the doc
trines Of the German social democracy
have. slight footing in Britain. II
Campbell Bannerman s following il
represented the majority Of the British
employers Of labor, and the latter ART
no more disposed than are the tory
landlords to favor the communication
of the agencies of industry, and tn
products of those agencies. Taking tn
British population as a whole today, i
contains smaller proportion of ag
gressive socialist influences than eithe
the German or the American.
" Liberals shrewd Judges.
What has happened is that the iber
ais have been shrewder judges thai
the conservatives of the way the win
was blowing economic changes. One O
the grounds Of Mr.. Chamberlain s phe
nomenal strength in Birmingham is tn
fact that, tho for twenty years allie
on other issues with the tories, he ha
steadfastly advocated the same better
ments, social and industrial, for tn
working classes which Lord Randolp
Churchill, the progressive conserve
tive" Of 1885, advocated when tn
Primrose league was young. IT,,
Labor 8 success will not bring rad
cal socialism one step nearer in Eng
land, but it will lead to relaxation c
laws that press too severely upon trade
unions and will facilitate a more e,
tended multiplication of public util
ties. -"
Mr.. Chamberlain IS victory is COZ
coded by liberals and Irish nationals
to be the greatest personal triumph
the history of modern British polite
and best described by the Times as q
political object lesson of kind mue
needed .-...,..''. ..... $685.
I'm any event." says a weekend r
viewer, not friendly to protection g
is impossible to pretend that the fisc
issue is ended. No doubt we will fir
1t more insistent than ever.n