Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-25
PREMIER ASQU|TH
MAKES BLUNDER
For Some Reason Did Not Send
Winston Churchill Letter
Wishing Him Success.
AND LIBERALS LOST A SEAT.
Defeat Is Recognized as Very Scri-
Gus Matter and Mars Prestige
OF New Government.

Manchester. Eng, April 2i,-Tho
northwest div ion of Manchester. by
the heaviest poll cast i'm 20 years, to-
day reversed its verdict of 1905 and
by majority of 400 votes unseated as
its members of parliament winston
Spencer Churchill. Liberal, who has
Just been made president OF the board
OF trade in the new Asquith cabinet,
and who that year so brilliantly wrosr
ed the seat from w. JOHNSON Hicks,
Unionist, his chief opponent of today
Three candidates stood for election
and the result was as follows:
W. Joynson Hicks, Unionist 5,ii1.
Winston Spencer Churchill. Liberal.
1855.
Mr.. Irving, Socialist. 27G.
The defeat of Mir. Churchill is
crushing blow to the prestige of the
government and the young and cons
fdent minister which is bound to have
marked influence on several pending
'bye-elections. There will be no diff
Guilty in finding for MIR. Churchill
safe seat elsewhere. The Liberals may
derive from their defeat Of today what
consolation * possible from the fact
that prior to 1906 the northwest division
seat was held constantly by the Con-
servatives
Among the many influences and cross
NuittUlS dl WOTk IN TINS EXTRAORDINARY
contest II is not wholly beyond reason
to suppose that Mr.. Asquith himself
was partly responsible for the defeat of
mis- young colleague. 1t Is customary
for the leader of a party to send let
ter wishing success to any member of
his party seeking election to parlia-
ment. MIR. Balfour in this case sent
Mr.. JoySon Hicks an unusually long
and adroit letter which doubtless very
materially assisted the Unionist cam
paign. Mr.. Asquith on the other hand
for some as yet unexplained reason
omitted to follow this custom though
he sent a letter 10 Walter Runciman,
president Of the board OF education,
who on Thursday contested and won
the seat for Dewbury by majority
of LAS votes 1t Is impossible to inn
agine that the omission in the case of
Mr.. Churchill was intentional but
in any case II gave the unionists an
opening to iusinuate that the premier
either disapproved of Mr. Churchills
tactics in pledging the government on
the Irish home rule and other questions
or that he would not be unwilling to
see the over-contident young minister
| receive check,
Contrary TO expectations the Socialist
vote was so small that ii had practice
ally no effect on the election. Probably
| more damage was inflicted on the Lib
eral cause by the activity of the sur
fragcttes who worked with the utmost
energy against Mr. Churchill. II IS
! also supposed that Lloyd George, chan
cellor of the eXchequer by breaking the
| custom that cabinet ministers abstain
| from personally canvassing elections.
gave many votes of waverers to the
! tnionists while Mr.. Redmond's advice
TO the Catholics to support Mr.. Church
i'll may have come too late, the Eng
lish Catholic priests having conducted
very vigorous campaign against Mr..
Churchill and the governments educa-
tional bill.