Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-10

| present one. In 1900 the conservatives, or
| unionists, had 4O2 members of the house of
| commons; today they have only 1877 In
| 1890 the opposition to the government had
| 26S votes. Today the same political party
| has 513.
The situation is further illustrated by the
| following figures:
| Population of the United Kingdom a. 7se .5s2
registered It voters ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 4ss. 900
Voted Tor liberals and allies .......... 3.osi 600
Voted for conservative ticket. ........ 1856, 900
! Number of voters In London ........... $500
Tap5ef I,b went 70 t9ct tse polls OIL ooS
,Uteu iioefai TICKET. Zb6, 5BS
| Liberal majority In London 22I9s
The most radical change occurred In Lon
| don The following figures will show the
| changes OF representation in that city in
| the boroughs oE-other cities and large towns
| or the Kingdom, and in the counties or rural
districts:
| London-1s95. IS unionists. 8 liberals: 1900
| 53 unionists, liberals; 1906. 10 unionsts
| AZ liberals
| Boroughs-1S95, 142 unionists. 65 liberals
| 1900. IA unionists, 60 liberals: 1906, ~
| unionists, 15S liberals.
Counties-1s95. 1873 unionists, 104 liberals:
1900, 49, unfonists, ITO liberals; 1906. "a
| unionists, 24S liberals.
In the late parliament the Irish national
| party had eighty seats; now 1t has eighty
| two and the conservatives seventeen.
The Large Labor Vote.
| The most surprising consequence OF the
election was the large labor vote, which
| was due:
1. To the organization Of the labor union
| and all the benevolent, social and protective
associations more than $50 in number,
| with million members, into a compact
political body
| 2. To the education OF the members or
| these organizations so that they came to
realize their strength and power. Until the
| late election hundreds of thousands OF
worktngmen never realized that they had
| voice In the government of the country.
| 8. The rapid growth of socialistic senti-
| ment as 1t was Illustrated at the municipal
| election in New York city last November
The organization and education of the
| workingmen were accomplished by the
| labor representative committee, Familiarity
| known as the Il R. CO. the offspring of
| trades union congress held in 1901 Real
| izing that their proper work was all they
| could successfully attend to- the labor
| union leaders at that congress decided upon
/ a political organization within their mem
| bershp and appointed a committee to in
| vite the corporation OF all the associa-
| lions l have described. Some of the labor
| unions. the miners for example, refused to
| participate. The railway men kept out OF
| Ii and several other lesser bodies but the
| great majority Of organized labor went in.
| Headquarters were rented. tons OF litera-
| ture were distributed, public addresses were
| delivered two three times week in
every town. and private conferences were
| repeatedly held for the instruction and In
| spiration of the leaders.
| The result-Of this five years propaganda
| has resulted in the election of 1fty-three
representatives Of the laboring classes to
| the house of commons out OF ninety eight
| candidates. Among them are two railway
| brakemen, two compositors. a pressman.
| several mechanical engineers. miners fac
tory, hands brickmakers. glass blowers,
| steel smelters. newsboy and other actual
| laboring men. In addition to several pro-
| fessional agitators. organizers and what we
| call walking delegates.
John Burns in the Cabinet
| John Burns, the veteran. probably the
| ablest and most reliable of all the labor
| members. has been given a seat in the
| cabinet and takes the place Of Gerald Bal
four. brother OF the former prime minister,
as president Of the local government boards.
| with salary Of $4,000. This recognition
| OF the labor element has created consider
able dissatisfaction. and Mr.. Burns has been
the target of vicious attacks from a certain
element among the labor party. He is
cused of having sold himself to the aristo-
Gratis: OF having betrayed his constituents
and former associates, and 1t Is predicted
that he will become q fuli-hedged kid
| gioved. silk-stockinged member OF the lib
eral party before they are done with him.
| These attacks have injured Mr. Burns In
| certain way among thoughtless class, but
1 the British people at large believe him as
an honorable. able and honest advocate or
| the interests he was elected to represent.
| and the only motive behind his appointment
| was to give that element its proper repre-
| sentation in the government
1t Is expected. Of course, that the labor
| members win support the administration.
| as they were elected upon the Same issues.
and Twenty-Five of them can be depended
| upon, but the remainder are pledged to dis
! regard all party connections and vote In
accordance with the wishes of their con-
| stituents on individual questions that may
| arise. They are all radicals and have ex-
treme Ideas upon economic questions Each
| Of them Is paid a salary Of 81 900 year by
his constituents. the money being raised
| by contributions from individuals and as
| sessments upon political clubs. Members
| of the house of commons. as you know.
| DO not receive any compensation from the
| government, although that question Is now
! being agitated. The IL. r. c." expects to
| keep up its propaganda and extend Its or
ambition of becoming the democratic party
| of England.
Former Premier Defeated
| Arthur J. Baifour. recently prime min
lister. was defeated for reelection from
Manchester district which he had repre-
scented many years by lawyer named
Thomas Gardiner Horridge. who had the
remarkable majority OF 1850. Mr., Bal
he yielded his support to Mr.. Chamberiin's
program for tarin reform. He wrote = let-
ter admitting that 1t would be the chief In
sue OF the unionists II their government was
continued In order to siye NJ Baifour =
Der from the city OF London. resigned and
the liberals made no opposition to the elec-
ton OF the ex-prime minister a. q mark
or respect. Mr.. Balfour might have gone
g the house Of lords, but he was guilty Of
was offered him upon HIS retirement from