The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-11-12
Political Diplomacy
Behind the Scenes

ptOmdCy COuuuCIeu Ueuluu tuo SCeucS
is more important than the parlia-
mentary play witnessed from the gal
leries. The prime minister is reveal
ing much of Mr. McKinley's talent for
managing men of all parties. The
Trades Dispute bill has been settled,
after conferences by the attorney gen
eral with the labor group. and its
passage through the house Of COM
mons promises to be smooth. A CON-
promise ON the education bill is more
difficult, but will be probably arrang-
ed The archbishop of Canterbury
has no idea of wrecking the bill. He
is meeting the prime minister and Mr..
Birrell and is making an earnest ef-
fort to secure a compromise. Neither
the bishops nor the weightiest con-
sentative peers approve Lord Hugh
Cecil's demonstration against the bill
at Trafalgar Square today, when the
conferences are in progress. Mr.. Har-
courts bill abolishing plural voting
has the unbroken support of the lib
eral and the labor parties. The gov
eminent is doing so we'll that the tory
rumors of the resignation of the Sec
rotary for ireland and other cabinet
changes are hardly credible. Equally
premature is the report that Winston
Churchill will be Mr.. Bryce's success
sor. The opposition needs more SYM
pathy than the government.
Woman Suffrage Agitat0rS.
The appearance OF Richard Cobden's
three daughters in the Westminster
police court with many other refined
and charming women as supporters OF
the suffrage agitators has been a sign
that the labor movement has won re-
cruits in unexpected quarters. Eleven
women are now in Holloway prison
disturbers Of the peace. and among
them are Mrs. Golden Sanderson.
Mrs. Pethick Lawrence and Mrs. Mon
tefOre. Other we'll known women al
so would be prisoners, among them
being General French's sisters, if the
police had not avoided arresting them.
The motive for the assault upon par
lament and the defiant conduct OF the
leaders in the police court was the
determination to command attention
for the suffrage cause by violent meas
ures when peaceable tactics had fail
ed. Keir Hardie will be the champion
of the prisoners. and the labor party
may add woman suffrage to its pro-
gramme of reforms. 1t is an open
question whether the cause will not
be harmed rather than benefited by
the disorderly episodes. Prejudice GER
tainly will be increased among men.
and the apathy in the main body of
wpmea Who are Indifferent to politi-
cal activities will not be lessened.
No More Senior Wranglers.
The doom of the senior wrangler
has been sealed at Cambridge by mar
row majorities In favor of the reform
of the mathematical tripos and the
abolition of this order of merit within
three classes. The final honor lists
in the examinations will cease to be
an end in themselves, and interest in
broader and more progressive achiev-
ments of university scholarship will
be promoted. The wooden spoon will
not go, for sportive students will find
somebody at the bottom and crown
him.
Charlotte Br0nte Portrait.
Clement Shorter has proved that ex-
perts ought to be called in before addi-
tons are made to national collections.
The portrait of Charlotte Bronte re-
Gently acquired by the National Por..
trait Gallery would DE unique lit
erary memorial If genuine. for it
bears the signature of Paul Heger. her
teacher at the Brussels school, whose
own portrait was drawn by her in the
professor in Jane Eyre" and will
ette." The artists name is misspeil-
ed. the date assigned for the water
color is impossible, and Paul Heger.
according to his own son. was not
the painter. To these proofs of icr-
gerry is added the testimony OF nov
elists and school friends that the
sketch does not resemble her genuine
portrait painted by George Richmond,
which is now in the pos session of the
Bronte family, and will ultimately
he hung In the National Portrait Gal
lery.
The Book Club War.
There is a dress parade of authors
while hostilities are in progress over
the "Times" Book club Maurice Hew-
lett and other writer's are strongly on
the side of the publishers, but Mrs.
Humphry Ward and George Bernard
Shaw favor 1.-THE Times" There are
many ineffective proposals for COM
promise. The only one that seemn
hopeful is Morris Collis' suggestion
that the books sold to "The Times"
shall have special binding and that
the privilege of second hand purchase
shall be reserved exclusively for sub
scribers until the expiration of the
period of six months from the date
Of issue. Moberly Bell expresses a
to accept this compro-
mise. The publishers are not con-
vinced that the close season can be
regulated In that way with so many
poachers outside the "Times" club.
Meanwhile the Daily Mail starts a
literary supplement under Edward
Gosse's direction, Austin Dobson con-
.ributing a characteristic valentine to
he first number.
The Soap Trust Again.
The book war Is a sham fight in
with the campaign against
he soap trust, in which the half-pen-
ny press masses columns like heavy
It Is in vain that the Man
chester Guardian proclaims that pro-
lection Is the mother of trusts and mo-
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