Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-18
CHAMBERLAIN ISRE.ELECTED
Unionists Are Successful in All Seven
Districts in Birmingham.
LIBERALS STILL RUN STRONG
Net Gain for the Day is
Twenty-Five seats, While
Unionists Gain But

LONDON. Jan 1.-THE most prominent
feature of today's election returns is the
| wholly unexpected stand made by Birming-
! ham, Not only were all of Joseph Chamber
! lan's seven candidates returned. but Mr..
| Chamberlain himself secured majority of
5000. while the majority of the others aver
| aged S.O0O.
| Even allowing that the liberal candidates
| were not very strong. as the seats were
practically uncontested at the last general
| election. and though the liberal organiza-
| tion was not as good as in other parts of
| the country, the results at Birmingham are
j of the highest Importance. They prove the
groundlessncss of the liberal contention that
| this general election has killed the fiscal
agitation for a generation to come. Besides
| showing the unabated confidence of Birm-
| ingham in Mr.. Chamberlain the results
| there go also to conform with what al
| ready has been noticed in isolated contests,
that the candidates who openly pressed
4 protectlonist leanings had good support and
| in some cases were victorious.
| Char berlain May Take Leadership.
The outcome at Birmingham affords a
| striking contrast. While Mr.. Balfour stands
| discredited a leader, with his supporters
| all swallowed up and himself angrily criti-
clsed from his own side, Mr.. Chamberlain
issues from the contest with flying colors.
His courage to a large extent justfes him
| TO persevere in his agitation and he is In a
position to argue that It was Mr.. Balfour's
timidity which lost the campaign.
| A considerable section of the unionists on
the protectionist side had predicted some
such result and 1t is now hinted that the
party must in future look toward Birming-
! ham for hope and guidance. II is too late
for the results at Birmingham to have any
great effect on the campaign as a whole
Liberals Make Big Gains.
Many of today's polls will not be declared
until tomorrow. but those published tonight
show that the liberal tide still runs strong.
London has gone distinctly liberal, no less
than twelve seats showing liberal gains.
While the total gains Of the liberals for
today number twenty-five, the unionsts
have made only one solitary gain. Viscount
Castlereagh having wrested the seat from
the liberals at Maidstone. Portsmouth
which had previously been represented by
two unionists, today elected two liberals
and this despite the fact that a fifth candi-
date. a laborite. tn eatened to split the lib
eral vote The laborite. however, came third
with very large vote. the unionists being
at the bottom of the list.
The members already elected are distrib-
uted as follows:
Liberals. 1s7; unionists, 70; laborites, 81
nationalists, so.
OF the twenty-three London seats pqliet
today sixteen were won by the liberals
twelve OF them being net gains.
The present Indications are that former
Premier Balfour will not seek another sea
in Parliament until after the elections
when one of the newly elected member!
will probably retire in his favor, so as tC
J allow Mr.. Balfour to try to enter the hous,
by means of a by-election. Mr.. Chamber
lain tonight issued the following messag,
to the electors:
= Well done, Birmingham. My own people
t have justified my confidence. / am deepl,
, grateful to all who have assisted in win
. ming this great victory. I'VE are seven"
Sir Conan Doyle Defeated.
= Sir Conan Doyle, who ran in the unionis
Interests for Hawick. Roxburgshire, Scot
land. has been defeated.
Among the striking personalities in to
days elections were Sydney c. Buxton
postmaster general. and DR.. Thomas Jane
MacNamara. the writer on educational sub
jects. who were elected by enormous ma
jorities for the Poplar division OF the Towe
. iamlets and the north division of Gambler
i well, respectively, and John Henniker Hea
ton Canterbury. Earl Percy (south divi
sion of Kensington). Sir William Evans
t Gordon tStepney division of Tower-Hamletl
!. Evelyn Cecil (Ashton Manor. Jesse Collin
u (Bordesley division of Birmingham. Wis
= count Morpeth (south division of Birmins
= ham), Sir w. g. Robson CSouth Shields am
Hon. Ivor Churchill Guest CPlymouth), VIII
retained their seats.