Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-15
In British Elections Held
Up to This Point.
Free Traders Claim Wa|k-over
Against Protectionists.
BaIfour Loses His Seat---Many Others
Are in Grave Danger.

protection. This is the beginning ol
such a political upheaval as has not
been seen in England since the days al
the great reform bill. Manchester has
saved herself by her exertions; she will
save England by her example.
Thus spoke Winston Churchill Sat
urday night and his opinion that free
trade. has gained Il victory is the opin-
ION OF the more responsible Of the
uniOnist newspapers, though many OF
them ;ittenpt to explain the result OF
the elections of Saturday as due more
to questions like Chinese labor in South
Africa, was taxation, etc. Nowhere
however, is there any hint at mininlZ-
ing the hurricane that has overtaken
the CmioniSt party or a suggestion ol
doing anything but beat an orderly re-
treat and save what is possible from
the rout.
The question now uppermost in all
minds is " hat fate will bcfall Joseph
Chamberlain at Birmingham.
The Morning Post editorially points
out that the temporary prosperity OF
the cotton industry may have made
Manchester slow to accept even the
Ealiuuiian measure OF tariff reform. IL
SAYS that should birmingham follow
the example Of Manchester. the mean
ing of the country's voice would 10
longer be Il matter for the slightest
doubh.
The Unonst Graphic in n temperate
article, says:
1T cannot be doubted that the coun-
try was not prepared for such reVo'
luton in its fiscal policy and declined
to grasp the subtitle distinction between
free trade ard protection as illustrated
BY Mr.. Balfour's halfway house"
The STANDARD, III an editorial. thinks
that the fear of American reprisals on
it,, staple industry in the event of the
adoption of fiscal reform largely inilu-
cnces the action of the Manchester vot-
erS.
The DAILY Telegraph SAYS:
1.-The combined forces Of radicalism
separation. Socialism and secularisn1
brought a black day for the CnionistS.
The paper admits that the main cause
is that the country will not sanction
anly modification of the free trade sys-
tenn
The Liberal organs naturally are jul
bliant.
The Daily Chronicle says:
1T is 4 result without parallel in the
history Of English electioneering and
will ill every free trader with deer
tiiankfulness.
The Daily News heralds Winston
Churchill as 1.-THE rising hope of the
Liberal party, a man whose career has
e i'm rspC T.
ing in the empire.
Mr.. I5alfour though evidently deeply
disappointed at the loss of his seat III
Manchester displayed great calmness
of dAmoanor on saturday night. when
ne delivered an admirably dispassion
ale ana impressive speech.
Already the former premier has had
several safe seats offered him. but as
Yet h.. has reached no decision.
Joseph Chamberlain has thus far de
clined to comment on thu result of sat
ulday's pollingS =
Pnllings are fixed for today in u
London districts and 4, provincial Dor
oushs The London districts We're pre-
v;olIsly represented by Il tnionists and
four Liberals. TOIayS results, there
fore. will afford a good test of whether
London is 10 follow the lead of Man
chester. The most interesting contest
will De al GreenW ich. where there Will
be Il tnr,e-corn,rrd struggle owing to
the fact that Mr.. Chamberlain insisted
on putting up "A candidate against Lord
Hugh Cecil. the leader of the Conserva
TIVE free traders. Two aVoWcd Cham
bcrlainteS are also c0nteSting the HoX-
ton and HaggtrStnn divisions OF Shore
ditch. Among the provincial contests
today viii be that at Leeds. Wher"
Gerald Ealfour. former president Of the
Board Of Trade. is almost certain /" be
defeated. he having been badly heckled
during the campaign.
Another former cabinet officer. Wal
ter Hume Long. who WAS president of
the local government board and later
chief secretary for Ireland in the Bal
four cabinet, will run the gauntlet to-
day III the effort to retain his seat for
Bristol.
The great success which the Labor
party Is experiencing IS likely to have
marked influence on the future re-
turns of the Liberal and Irish parties.
The present prospect is that Sir Henry
Cant bcll- Zimmerman may obtain a
ma jority large enough to make him in
dependent OF the Nationalist. In that
case. should there be a large Labor
part IN the new Parliament. the pos
siblities of an alliance between the Ma
t;onalists and the I.abOrites will be-
come an interesting problem. James
Kerr Hardie. one of the most prominent
of the Labor leaders. has already made
overturcs for such an alliance. while
il is known that John Burns. the pres
idcnt OF the local government board. is
a strong advocate of Home Eule foi
Ireland.