New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-04-26
WARNING TO ASQUlTH
DEFE4T OF CHURCHILL
Manchester Result Shoes Fr1ght al
Liberal Coalitions.
fsueoisl By French Gable to The Iriodi ne =
r,-1,-rszs7t 1905 by The Tribune Associ@ -iOii }

- fT--r ll.
-, anril 25-Prime Minister Asqullh
.s-,,,ris-ration starts off with a disastrous Ie
-, q, Manchester. warning hum thdl "ie
country is going against him. A seat Can DC 80
for winston Churchill in Dundee OF StA --ne
borourhs and he can console hlInseli wiz -
rejection that Mr.. Gladstone. Sir "hllalii ita
court John Morley and other well known iiu0i t,1'
have met with similar reVerses thfousi IL
.s.,,,.,ess of the electorate but the government
is confronted with unansweraole PROOF una '-i-
rreat majority which it commands in the Ooiii-
mons has ceased to be representative IL oS0u
sc she Sam. position which Mr.. Balfours gov
eminent held during the two years preceding ''e
,ass general election 1t may remain III oliio0
for two or three years. but its authority Il
undermined by the series of by-elecuohs Gun
yninafins in Manchester, which proves thd' liie
country is frightened by the Liberal coalitions
with trades unionism and Home Ruie anu IL
turning deliberately toward Chamberlalnlsrn-
Mr.. Asquith's first duty is TO his dead chlef-
He will move the adjournment OF the House Oh
Commons on Monday after Joining Mr. Morley
the Lord Chancellor. and his other CABINET as
sociates in The group of pallbearers at West
minister Abbey That viii be the dead states
mans last Parliament after forty years OF ser
vice and party feeling will be silenced while the
government and opposition benches join In sing
ing the hymn which closed the memorable ser
vice in honor Of Gladstone. and when TIE hnal
requiem is heard the family mourners VIII go
North for the village funeral in Meigle where
Sir Eenrys beloved wife was buried.
Parliament will then be free 10 take up the
licensing bill twice deferred, but more imPor-
tant than the contentious Of reform legislation
as dead past which must be faced In a gem
eraJ meeting of the Liberal members the
process of filling the cup with a blend OF Scotch,
Irish and English reform measures and chal-
longing a conflict with the Lords must De
abandoned The Lords can now assert trl-
umphantIy that they, and not the Liberal Com
mons have the country behind them Mr. As
ouith is forced TO change the order OF govern
nent policy, and attempt by the driving power
of his own viii. 10 concentrate the party ener-
gies upon financial and democratic issues, set
ting by a timely compromise educational and
other barren controversies. This is an under
taking which will subject his authority and IN
fuence TO a supreme test.
What the Manchester contest. conducted by
Mr.. Churchill and David Loyd-George with
more energy and brilliancy than discretion,
really proves is that free trade is not a refer
endum upon which the electors can give a de-
-isive vote without regard TO scores of side
Issues Traditions, local pride and self-interest
were on the side of CobdensIn. and the greatest
Lancashire risk involved in a change of the
able repeal of the excise duty which now ham
pers the growth of the cotton industry in India.
Yet Manchester found itself voting public
house licensing religious education Irish Home
Rule, eight hours for miners, reckless legisla-
ton for old age pensions and scores of other
questions when it called upon 20 defend
free trade. What happened there is likely TO
occur at a general election. Cobdenism cannot
be made a paramount issue with the Liberal
party the sole surviving trustee.
The Liberal government viii be trial, and
II cannot screen itself behind free trade. The
country in voting Liberalism out of power on
various issues will bring back the Unionists,
committed 10 tariff reform as their first work.
Apparently England. with the consent of Man
chester, viii become tariff country within
three years Mr.. AsGuith may avert this result
by making the Liberty party and creating
new coalition with labor which will not
brighten the moderate Liberals. Manchester has
sign which favors him. This is the utter
collapse of the Socialist candidate, favored by
keir Hardie l. " F.