Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-22
ENGLISH ELECTIONS
An Exciting Campaign for Par
Iiamentary Honors.
CARTOONS A BIG FEATURE
How Some of the Leaders Are Held Up
for Ridicule.
SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS UPSET
Some Interesting Phases of the Con-
test Between the Liberals and
the Unionists.
SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS UPSET
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

the event monopolizes newspaper columns
to the exclusion of nearly everything else.
Hundreds of speeches are being made daily,
and while the big guns have several COL
umns devoted to them. the smaller fry's
utterances are boiled down from half col
umns to mere paragraphs. 1t is most lively,
and the most sluggish imagination Is stir
red by the great national event. The
South African war was minor affair conf
pared to this. / have survived several gen.
eral elections in England, but cannot re-
member one SO absorbing. In this case the
issues are so well defined that our own tar
if battles in America were not more ex-
citing.
1t Is not often that this country finds It
self, as it does now, in such state of pre-
paredness for a general election before the
dying parliament has been dissolved and
the writs issued for the new one The pa
pers are flooded with election literature OF
every sort, and from the number of candi-
dates that have been marshaled in the OPP
posing camps and the bitterness that has
developed itself in campaigning speeches.
well from the greatness of the issues
that divide the opposing parties. 1t is evil
dent that the contest is to be fought out
with q vigor and energy that no general
election has realized since the battle OF
home rule was fought twenty years ago.
The hard hitting in speeches has begun.
and it is evident that elections in England
are approaching the condition of the "o!d
days when a candidate sianged his eppo-
nent without mincing his words.
In England the political cartoon plays
most important part. The dingy walls of
old England are bright with political post
ers. Every dead wall and boarding is COW
cred with liberal cartoons, many of them
colorado limitations" of the truth. The
committee room of the National Liberal
Club Is hung with samples, and election
agents and candidates come to look at
how, xr-ffh m ART n
would be suitable for their constituency
and which would not "go down"
The conservatives have not yet arranged
their academy show" for public inspec-
ton, but We are promised some startling
revelations of the caricaturists art as dis
played in pictorial representation of the
protectionist point Of view. The worst OF
the caricaturists art as applies to politics
is that 1t sometimes caricatures the truth:
the best of 1t is that II gives the truth, as
seen by the caricaturist, in a vivid fash.
But you must not take a squeamish mind
with you when you go to look at an exhibit
ton of political posters. The artist can at
ford to make no concessions to the enemy
by refining his points. His object Is to hit
the voter ''in the eye and to do IL in the
shortest possible space of time and with
the utmost certainty of obtaining salts
factory effect. And SO You must not look
for any fine shades of argument-the lit
tie loaf must he very little. and the large
loaf as large as life, or even larger.
For instance, Mr.. Balfour is drawn a
perplexed jarvey, with ridiculous small
hat upon wrinkled brow and driving a
queer company in ''growler'-a China
man, a bloated magnate and perky
looking gentleman with an eyeglass and
orchid-but the majority of the posters ig-
more the eX-premier and devote themselves
to Joe" Chamberlain.
The latter statesman is depicted In every
possible manner and in all colors. 1t will
be seen from the following selection that
the characters are fearfully and wonder
for Nv rhor hnr lott &c
scented as pirate, carrot, bbat missionary
Salvation Army officer juggler, William
Pitt, coster, Napoleon, terrier candlestick,
Chinaman, Mantalini, clock, Betsy Prig,
niger minstrel, bishop red Indian, Roman
emperor, Turkish pasha, snake, swordfish,
king, Snowman, trfpeze artist. dead baby,
champion walker Mad Halter, Brer Fox,
settee, blind beggar, prize fighter and al
most every animal known to biologists. 1t
would appear that no caricature is complete
unless is includes Mr.. Chamberlain. Tor he
figures in 95 per cent of the political car
ICONS of the day.
Socially general election plays utter
havoc. All engagements are by tacit con-
sent abandoned which are not of politi-
cal nature Everybody who has any po-
liticai interest puffs himself up with i'm
portance, and the effete of either sex, who
care nothing for the fact that government
and opposition are being tried by the jury
of the electorate simply yawn and say the
whole thing is a beastly bore. The Carlton
and the Reform clubs are the seething CEN
tiers of political excitement, while the Ma
tIonaI Liberal wears an air of triumph. as
though the club servants we're already re-
hearsing See the Conquering Hero Comes.
The junior political clubs furnish animated
understands to the emotions OF their
seniors, but the fashionable social clubs are
nearly deserted Their earnest members
are now resorting to the political clubs to
which they belong, and the rest are either
acting as ornamental incubuses to more
serious canyassing, or else are playing
bridge in bouGoirs OF alternating until
their environment has again leisure to give
heed to their airy trif1lngs.
Two forecasts may be mentioned. The
first comes from a somewhat independent
tory who In the next conservative revival
would have claims for a subordinate post.
He says: '"The C. Bites viii get ma
jority of about 10, without counting the
Irish party, while It remains to be seen If
the labor members will obey the govern
ment whips. Home rule will be the stirrup
by which the conservatives will eventually
mount into the saddle of office" On the
other side may be given the prophecy of a
near relative of a cabinet minister; 1--WE
liberals will get majority of So to 90 and
shall devote ourselves to remedial home
legislation. Home rule VIII not be the bug
bear the tories fondy hope. Devolution
schemes, such as the one assiduouSly PAM
phleteered by Lord Dunraven, are really
more uprooting and Remembering than
any bill the government will ever introduce.
The tories are trying to show that Mr..
Redmond is going to be great thorn
In the flesh Mr.. Chamberlain is to them,
but this Is bunkum."
London Is strangely unsuccessful in at
tracing as parliamentary candidates the
most distinguished names In politics, but at
the coming election there will be on both
sides a fair selection of prominent men.
Most interest will be taken in the contest in
Battersea, where John Burns translation
to a higher sphere will add to the spirit
and picturesqueness that have always
marked the contests In that constituency
since Mr.. Burns began to represent 1t.
Burns has only one cabinet colleague in
London. In the person of Mr. Sidney Bux-
ton, who should have no difficulty In re-
tanning his seat In Tower Hamlets, In the
East End.
1t Is curious that the late ministry had
not single member sitting or standing for
a London seat, although Mr.. Arnold Fors-
ter is just over the border In Croydon,
whence Mr.. Richie was driven forth In
the city the free trade cause will have able
opponents In Mr.. Felix Schuster, the great
banker. who is one Of Mr.. Chamberlain.s
most determined opponents, and Sir West
Ridgeway, who has long record of high
administrative work abroad to recommend
him to q constituency supposed to hold
such q Recommendation In high esteem
Two members of the Hotel Cecil, Lord