Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-01-24
DRAWN BATTLE
IN BRITISH
ELECTION
NEITHER PARTY HAS
WORKING MAJORITY
Predicted Incoming Govern
ment viii Be Short Lived and
the Year viii See Country
Plunged into Another Struggle

Plunged into Another Struggle
Especial CORRESPONDENCE TO Morning Journail
London, Jan. 2S-~Ncver in the rec
objection OF the oldest politicians have
the british parties been in such per-
picking position as they are today So
evenly divided win be the membership
OF the next house OF commons ana 50
close ~ the popular vote, that the re-
suit of the elections Tor all practical
purposes may be considered tie.
No human mind can decide which
OF the questions before the electorate
had the most influence at the polls,
or whether the results mean that the
people demand tariff reform, are
loyal 10 the lords, anxious to reject
Chancellor 1loyd-GeorEe's budget or
whether all three of these had an
equal effect Under these circum-
stances neither party wants the re-
sponsiblity OF attempting 20 legislate,
and. since division must be close
the uniOnists are better satisfied to
be in opposition than to have won BY
very small majority
MI BaHour's speeches show plain
ly that with the existing conditions
he is glad not % have control OF the
governments Premier AsQuith would
be equally pleased 10 escape the perlls
OF plotting the party through the
troubled waters There are preccdents
for him 70 ask the king to summon
another leader 10 form the cabinet
but no one expects him TO hand down
his flag. An prophets predict that
the now cabinet will fine itself in the
minority within year and that the
country VIII plunge into another gem
eral election.
The remarkable figures recorded at
this stage OF the balloting foreshndow
clearly how nearly equal both the
popular vote ana the membership OF
the house OF commons viii be divided
between the two great factions.
The popular vote stands:
Unionists 2,5Gh,621
Liberals, 2,324,31h.
Lahorites. 3g5,115.
This gives th9 united liberal-labor
marty q nrajorifg 81 loSoa in 4 to-
tai vote oi 5,2ss,l57 Today the
membership OF the house Of commons
Is tie, the unionists and the COM
bined liberal and labor party each
having elected 2lS representatives.
One hundred and sixty-seven seats
remain to BE fillod OF which 102 are
English In the last parliament these
We're.
Unionisis, go.
Liberals 10.
Y Nationalists, 1 O.
should the present trend Of voting
continue, neither the unionists nor the
liberals can muster majority Of
mere than a dozen and the Irish ma
tlonalists with SO votes will be mas
ters OF the situation The peers ana
the Irish viii be the dominating
forces of the next parliament Premier
Asquith has two battles TO fight--to
reform the lords and TO pass the
budget which failed and the budget
for the coming year The prospect Is
that both the peers and the national
lists VIII vote Tor the budgets.
The house Of lords can be reform-
ed only BY q bin which the lords must
swallow They may deny that the
country has given a mandate for this.
The unionists insist that the elections
have not proved that the country de-
sires a change in the historic status Of
the upper house They argue that
bare majority is not enough No
country with q written constitution.
such rs the United states, they point
out. can make such changes by n
mere majority.
The position Of the natlonnlists is
unique. With them ali questions are
subserVient to home rule The tariff
protcctonists II they could vote that
issue without complications The ma
ucnalists In the last parliament de-
clured against the budget principally
because they were opposed 10 increas-
ed whisky taxes but they would prob
ably help il through the next house
as n measure Of political strategy.
Home rule is not likely TO get far
next session according to well vers-
ed politicians because the reform of
the house oi lords which the primo
minister has written at the head of
his program promises a great strug-
gle. John Hammond leader OF the
nationalisis. win be almost as import
ant as the premier because MIR. AS
quith can do nothing without him
The conservatives believe that the
older wing OF the liberal party, rep-
resented by Premier Asduith. War
Secretary Haldane and Foreign Sec
retaty sir Edward Grey. now repent
having permitted radicals like David
Lloyd George ana Winston Spencer
Churchill to commit the party 70 "a
budget that is SO far on the road TO
What their opponents term socialism.
Tho liberals claim that their enemies
are trembling in their boots lest they
find the government on their hands
with tha necessity Of raising revenues
ior old agc pensions and larger navy
md ht the same Time attempting To
ADOPT protection
The surprise of the campaign has
been that the manufacturing centers
With "a few exceptions have gone for
free trade, while the eQuirearchies
shifted 20 the protection party. The
are convinced that the
'ampaign is the first milestone in
bitter struggle IN which history will
-epcat itself and I'm which their party
Nil return TO power by gradual steps.
as 70 has Ia the past whenever dis
istrousiY uNcrthrown--a struggle that
Nill firmly establish Imperialism and
protection.
That the struggle is bitter even now
here Is no question. The one time
'hiyalrous atmosphere of British poll
tics has been widely changed So
much personal feeling and so many
'harges OF lying and intimidation have
been unknown since the reform bill
lays The liberals make wholesale
'hargcs that factory workmcn. farm