Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-15
FREE TRADERS JUBILANT
Minister Churchill Says Protection is Dead
in Great Britain.
UNIoNlsTS TAKE A DIFFERENT VIEW
sixty-EiEht Districts Elect Today and
in Them Several Members of
Present md Late Cabinet
Are Candidates.

DONDON, Jan. lo.-'We nave hllteu pIo-
lection. This year is the beginning of such
political upheaval as has not been seen
in England since the days OF the great
reform bill Manchester has saved herself
by her exertions; she will save England by
her example
Thus spoke Winston Churchill Saturday
night. and his opinion that free trade has
gained victory is the opinion Of the more
responsible of the unionist newspapers,
though many of them attempt to explain
| the result of the elections of Saturday as
due more to questions like the Chinese
\ labor in South Africa, war taxation, ETC.
| Nowhere, however. is there any hint at
minimizing the hurricane that has over
taken the unionist party or a suggestion
of doing anything but to beat an orderly
retreat and save what is possible from
the rout.
The question now uppermost in all minds
| is what fate will befall Joseph Chamber
| lain 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 Balfour measure of
tariff reform. It says that should Birming-
| ham follow the example of Manchester the
meaning of the country's voice would no
longer be matter for the slightest doubt.
Not Prepared for Revolution.
The unionist Graphic, in a temperate
| article, says: "It cannot be doubted that
the country was not prepared for such a
revolution in its fiscal policy and declined
to grasp the subtle distinction between
| free trade and protection as illustrated by
Mr.. Balfour's halfway house"
| The Standard. in an editorial, thinks that
| the fear of American reprisals on its staple
industry in the event of the adoption of
fiscal reform largely Influenced the action
of the Manchester voters.
| The Daily Telegraph says: THE COM
bined forces Of radicalism, separatism, So
cialism and secularism wrought a black
day for the unionists." The paper admits
that the main cause is that "the country
will not sanction any modification OF the
free trade system"
The liberal organs naturally are jubilant
The Daily Chronicle says
1T is result without parallel in the
history of English electioneering and will
fill every free trader with deep thankful.
ness"
The Daily News heralds Winston
Churchill ''the rising hope of the liberal
party, a man whose career has now be-
|
empire"
Mr.. Balfour, though evidently deeply dis
appointed at the loss of his seat in Man.
chester. displayed great calmness of de.
mea1or on Saturday night when he de.
livered an admirably dispassionate and
! impressive speech. Already the former
premier has had safe seats offered him
but as yet he has reached no decision.
Cham rlain Is Silent
Joseph Chamberlain has thus far de
days pollings.
Pollings are fixed for today In twenty.
one London districts and forty-sever
provincial boroughs. The London dis
tricts were previously represented by sew
enteen unionists and four liberals To
days results therefore. will afford a gooC
test OF whether London is to follow tn,
lead OF Manchester. The most interest
ing contest will be a Greenwich wher,
there will be a three-cornered fight. OWNS
TO the fact that Mr. Chamberlain insisted
on putting up candidate against Lore
Hugh Cecil. the leader of the conservativ,
free traders. Two avowed Chamberlainite,
are also contesting the Hoxton and Hag
gerston divisions of Shoreditch Among tn,
, provincial contests today will be that a
Leeds, where Gerald Balfour, former pres
ident of the Board Of Trade is almos
certain to be defeated. he having beeI
badly hectored during the campaign
, Another former cabinet officer. Waite
Hume Long (who was president OF the Ioca
, government board and later chief secretar,
for Ireland in the Balfour cabinet) will rui
the gauntlet today in the effort to retail
his seat for Bristol Among today's candi
dates also will be four members of tn
present cabinet, Augustine Birrel. presiden
OF the Board of Education; Herbert Johl
Gladstone, secretary for home affairs: 81
Henry Hartley Fowler, chancellor OF III
, dutchy of Lancaster, and James Bryce
chief secretary for ireland.
The great success which the labor mart
is experiencing is likely to have a marke
. influence on the future relations of the Lib
eral-Irish parties. The present prospect
that Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman ma
obtain majority large enough 10 max
him indepedent of the nationalists. In tha
: case should there be a large labor part
: in the new Parliament the possibility of a
alliance between the nationalists and tn
laborites would become an interesting prob
lem. James Keir Hardie one of the mos
prominent of the labor leaders. already ha
made overtures for such an alliance Will
II is known that John Burns, the presider
u Of the local government board, is a stron
advocate of home rule for Ireland
Z COST OF RURAL MAIL SERVICE