Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-18

| us dtuOiSllScS.
John Burns of Battersea comes back
to Parliament with flying colors AL
| though in the great land slide of 1906
he won by 1900 votes, his normal ma
jority is about 200, and in today's hard
fought battle he beat A. Shirley Benn,
the Unionist, by 555. The vote was
Burns $40, Benn 1885.
Defeat has been predicted for Hon
est" John perennially during the past
decade. and Mr.. Burns and his friends
We're considerably frightened this year.
Since the most picturesque figure in
Westminster was sent to the House of
Commons by the enthusiastic supporter
of the working men and Socialists of
his home district as their spokesman,
and since he held positions of increas-
ed responsibility, he has gradually out
grown his old radical ideas. John
Burns of today is a vastly different
politician from the old John Burns who
eXhorted the workingmen in Trafalgar
square TO rise against the police. He
has become one of the most conserva-
tive of Liberals and is even said to be
at heart good Tory.
John Burns has 50 far outlived his
famous dictum that no man can hon
eStly earn more than $250O yearly, that
he holds Il $4,000 position and is likely
to be promoted to a $4,000 position,
although his style of living remains as
modest as ever.
The Gear of Battersea" as some of
the workingmen call him, has not
hesitated to stand against some of the
demands upon the government of some
of his old-time friends, when he con-
sidered them unreasonable. He has
=, opposed the unemployed and has spok-
en- plainly about the workingman's
tendency toward drink. While he has
gained the respect Of ali parties in
Parliament and is considered one Of
the ablest as well as one of the most
interesting legislators, traitor and
Renegade" are some of the mildest
terms applied to him in the labor
camp. Threats to overthrow him have
been louder this year than ever and his
defeat was generally expected, but his
engaging personality and his thorough
canvass of the district pulled him
through.
A Shirley Benn, who is a prominent
county counsellor, made a strong tariff
reform campaign and received much out
side help. but Honest John, in his ia
miliar jacket and bowler luerby)-for he
still scorns the ministerial silk hat and
frock coat-has been seen everywhere
renewing acquaintance with his old fol-
lowers. Hundreds of motors, bedecked
with the Unionist candidates colors-
purple and yellow-filed the Battersea
streets today, taking voters to the polls
Long lines of them were drawn up outside
the factories waiting for the workmen
TO come out Benn's placards in the win
dows outnumbered the Burns 10 to l. The
Socialist posters reminded the working
men that John Burns had said that each
of them spent six shillings a week on
drink. One of them accused him of TAX
ing soup which some outcast should have
had when he visited the bread line on
the embankment. Another exhorted the
voters to turn the canting hypocrite
out" Still another represented him in a
court suit labelled "the gilded popinjay"
Thousands of children paraded with
Burns emblems on their banners which
said that under protection the father
would have to rob the cat of it's meat
for his dinner
The excitement in Battersea tonight Is
greater than elsewhere in London. I'm
mense crowds surrounded the candidates
quarters until a late hour awaiting the
news. The enthusiasm at the headquar-
tiers Of the president of the local govern
ment board was intense when the result
was received.
Woolwich was another scene Of excite
! ment. At this place the labor leader,
VIII Crooks, had a dramatic reception
on his return from Australia on the eve
If the election. Crooks went about the
streets followed by a great crowd. He
was cheered everywhere and frequently
stopped and made impromptu speeches
from the steps of houses. One of his
addresses was delivered in front Of the
headquarters Of his antagonist, Major
w. A. Adams, Unionist, who viewed the
scene from a window.