Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-01-25


Arthur ]. Balfour, Tory EXPIRE
nlier of Great Britain, has just
been defeated for reelection to the
house of commons from East Manches-
ter by big majority by an obscure
Liberal named Harridge, who was con-
ceded to be weak candidate. The de-
feat Of Mr.. Balfour under such circum-
stances proves beyond all cavil that a
great political revolution is on in Great
Britain and that the Liberals will have
great majority in the house of COM
mons, which is the whole government
over there. No doubt Mr.. Balfour will
be returned by some other constltu-
ency, as in that country man may be
elected from any district. In that way
each party manages to keep its sffon-
gest men in parliament, but bis defeat
at this early stage of the elections will
COW Tories everywhere, for be it re-
membered that the districts do not
hold their elections simultaneously, but
whenever the spirit moves them. so
that the elections cover several weeks.
This revolution once more demonstrates
for our instruction the uncertainty OF
human affairs, especially of political
human affairs. Our stand pat friends
may find much food for sober reflection
in what is now going on in Britain.
Several years ago the Tories came into
power there by an overwhelming ma
jority, just as the Republicans did
here. The Tories lorded it over things
there, Just as the Republican have
done here. Each flattered itself that it
had a perpetual lease of power and
carte blanche to do as it pleased, no
matter what, for the Liberals of Brit
ain and the Democrats of America
seemed to be completely effaced. Bal
four succeeded his uncle, Lord Sails
bury, in the premiership, and all went
merry as marriage bell for long
time. but the turn has come in the
road. and the Primrose party of that
marvellous Jew, Benjamin Disraeli,
earl of Beaconsfield, the most brilliant
AEnglishman of the century. must walk
the plank to be succeeded by the
rivals whom for a decade it has de-
spised. So it will be here. The hand
writing is on the wall for the Repub-
leans. but the leaders appear no more
able to read or interpret it than was
Belshazzar of old. It was read and
interpreted nevertheless. The inter-
probation, in brief, was that Belshazzar
had been weighed in the balance and
found wanting, that the jig was up
with him, that he was done for, played
out = "ausgespielt," as the Germans
would say-and the Interpretation prov
ed true to the letter. The memorable
scene at that banquet board in the roy
al palace thousands of years ago is one
Of the best known incidents of history.
1t finds a parallel here now among Re
publicans Let us hope that Belshaz-
zar's fate will be theirs They deserve
it as richly as he did.
Here is Lord Byron's description Of
the Belshazzar feast:
The king was on his throne;
The satraps thronged the hall;
n A thousand bright lamps shone
Ger that high festival.
A thousand cups of gold
In Judah deemed divine
Jehovah's vessels hold
The goddess heathens wine.
In that same hour and hall
The fingers of hand
Came forth against the wall
And wrote as If on sand:
The fingers of man
A solitary hand
Along the letters ran
And traced them like wand.
The monarch saw and shook
And babe no more rejoice;
All bloodless waxed his look,
And tremulous his voice.
LET the men of lore appear,
The wisest of the earth,
And expound the words of fear
Which mar our royal mirth!"
Chaldea's seers are good,
But here they have no skill.
And the unknown letters stood
Uatold and awful still.
And Babels men of age
Are wise and deep in lore,
But now they were not sage;
They saw-but knew no more.
A captive in the land,
A stranger and youth,
He heard the kings command,
He saw that writings truth.
The lamps around were bright,
The prophecy in view;
He read it on that night;
The morrow proved it true.
Belshazzar,s grave is made,
His kingdom passed away;
He in the balance weighed,
Is light and worthless clay
The shroud his robe of state,
His canopy the stone; y
The Mede is at his gate
The Persian on his thronel
Gernaany's View Of Its New Tariff.
/ The, following extract from the Wash
| ington Star will demonstrate clearly
the view held in Germany as to wheth-
er the new German tariff, to go into eff
feet in March, will put up the price Of
American products to German CON
sumers It demonstrates beyond all
question that it viii put up the price
to the German consumer, thereby re-
ducing the amount he will consume
from this country. The Star says;