Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-02
ENGLAND SEES A
PARTY SPLITUP
REALIGNMENT OF FORCES
PROBABLE AS A RESULT
Liberals and Labortes Part Company.
First Quarrel In March-Trades
Disputes Bills Another
Rock of Discord
BY w. HAMILTON RHODES.


Special Gable to The Herald.
| LONDON. Sept. 1.-The most i'm
portant political event of the past few
months is the split between the Liberals
and the Laborites. The Independent
Labor party's quarrel with the gov
ernment has assumed a new phase
by the determined effort which the
Labor representation committee is now
making to capture the members of the
Miners federation, who have hitherto
been characterized by their sturdy in
dependence.
The miners leaders are intensely op-
posed to affiliation with the Labor rep
resentation committee They declare
that body was founded by Socialists,
| is controlled by Socalistic majority
on it's executive committee, and is
working insidiously toward Socialism.
The Cockermouth election, a three-cor-
nered fight resulting in the triumph of
the Unionists has greatly accentuated
all difficulties.
This great split was practically Of
ficially announced by the under-sec-
retary for the colonies who, although
he occupied minor position in the
government, speaks in public with the
authority of a minister of the crown.
He declared in speech at Wimborne
that no great party would put up
with such treatment as the Liberals
had received from the Labor party,
resulting in the defeat of the Liberal
candidate at Cockermouth in three
cornered fight.
1--WE cannot forget that every mem
ber of the Socialist party was returned
by thousands of Liberal votes" he
said. ''If some of these gentlemen go
about handing over Liberal fortresses
to our Tory opponents. they cannot
complain if Liberal electors in their
own constituencies look about for rep
resentatives of their own political
view"
Once They Agreed
When the Labor representation COM
mittee was formed it came to an agree
ment with the Liberal party wire
pullers that it's candidates should not
be opposed by official Liberals if the
local circumstances permitted. The ar
rangement worked excellently to all
appearances, and thirty of the Labor
representation committee candidates
we're returned at the general election,
as well as twenty other Labor men,
bers who fought with the help of the
official Liberal party.
AS soon as parliament sat the in
evitable quarrel broke out.
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman ex-
pected the allegiance of the Socialists.
He was sadly disappointed. Mr.. Keir
Hardie soon showed that the aspira-
tions of the premier would receive
very short shrift at his hands.
First Quarrel
The first quarrel arose as early as the
first week in March, when the Labor
members assailed the postmaster-gen-
eral over the appointment of a COM
mittee. and carried their protest to
the length of voting against the gov
eminent in division. The government
then capitulated, and gave way to the
Labor members. Constant chickering's
and flank attacks on the government
by Mr.. Keir Hardie and his followers
followed
Early in May the quarrel broke out
again when, over the appointment of
another committee, Mr.. Keir Hardie
and Mr.. Will Crooks led another at
tack on the government, and incident
ally repudiated the twenty Liberal
Labor members, and declared that they
alone were entitled to speak for the
working classes. On this occasion the
government was again forced to divide
against the Socialists.
The trades disputes bill has proved
constant source of dispute between
the government and the Labor mem
bers. The government surrendered the
most vital point in the measure and
overrode such influential members of
the cabinet as Mr.. Asquith and Mr.
Haldane at the bidding of Mr.. Keir
Hardie. Quarrels have been frequent
ever since.
Parliament has broken up, leaving
nothing but bitter feelings between the
parties. 1t is confidently predicted that
the slight support which the premier
has received from Mr.. Keir Hardie's
followers will be withdrawn when par
lament reassembles, and that at every
by-election the Labor representation
committee will run candidates against
official Liberals.