Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-15
ELECTION NOW IN PROGRESS
EXPECTED TO PUT NEW MEN
IN PARLIAMENT.
ISLANDS GREATEST CAMPAIGN
REACHES VOTING STAGE
Bitter Fight With Revolutionary Bud.
get as Issut, Has Been Wased-
seventy-Four Members Being chos-
on and Liberals Arc Expected to
Lose Several esats.

III Slxty-SlX constituencies, returning
seventy-four members of parliament
In 1906 these constituencies returned
forty-nine liberals, seventeen unionists,
and eight labor candidates. That to-
days polling will show considerable
change in the party figures is gener-
ally conceded, as the election is being
contested with entirely new lists and
the fight has been bitter.
Seven more unionists became mem
bers Of the new parliament this morn
ing without contests, the liberals as US
ual offering no opposition to the return
of members from the three universities
Of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin. and
Speaker Lowther, member for Penrithe.
The nationalists also scored one un-
contested election, Patrick O'Brien be-
ing chosen by acclamation for Kill
kenny. In today's elections interest
centers at Manchester and vicinity, a
district which heretofore has remained
loyal to free trade. Birmingham also
voted today, but those seats were Sc
cured by unfonists.
Lloyd George is 6oastful.
David Lloyd-George, closing his cam
paign with speech at Crimsby this
afternoon, referred to the invincibility
of the British navy. and declared: eff
a German fleet in a moment Of mad
ness ever attacked Great Britain, it
would be at the bottom Of the German
ocean in q very few hours"
Has Been Notable Campaign.
Last night witnessed the close of the
parliamentary election campaign. 1t
has been fought on an issue novel to
the people Of these times-an issue that
has not been raised before for 800 years
and it has been fought with an in
tensity Of conviction, energy. and bit
terness unparalleled in Great Britain
in the present generation.
Even the Gladstonian home rule cam
paign, which came near destroying the
liberal party, failed to arouse the po-
litical factions to anything like their
present vehemence.
The conflict that opens the ballot
boxes today for the first general cleo
tion since 1906 is a death struggle be-
tween the two great political parties
in the state-the aristocrats and the
democrats.
Vote to protect the VOTE" is the ex-
11ortation addressed to the people by
the leading liberal organ, and it then
succinctly portrays how the conflict
presents itself to the liberals On the
opposing side is ranged every possible
influence in support of the privileged
classes.
The demand Of the house of COM
mons for limitation of the powers of
the peers, home rule, and tariff reform,
with the budget, are the issues to be
decided by the British electors.
Last Desperate Appeal.
The Weekly Spectator, free trade
organ representative of moderate men
of both parties makes last despairing
appeal tonight to the Unionist free
traders to vote against the govern
ment and risk return of the protec-
ZIONIST party rather than to endanger
the integrity of the kingdom, which ii
says is in far greater peril than ever
before owing to the apathy the coun-
try displays towards the Irish ques-
ton.
The two outstanding features of the
campaign have been the determination
of the Liberals to concentrate the at
tention of the people on the constitu-
>tional struggle involved in the attempt
of the peers to control the public purse
and the quick realization by the con-
servatives that the rejection of the
budget had been a mistake.
Every effort was then made by the
opposition to change the issue, and this
is seen in the Introduction into the
campaign Of new issues of a weak
navy and the danger of a German in
vasion, which led the Unionists into
the doubtful policy of taking up the
prominent socialist Robert Blatchford
to help in their attack on the Liber-
ais.
Tariff Reform Issue Pushed.
While under the influence of Joseph
Chamberlain tariff reform was pushed
forward as the unionists' leading plank
on this question the party presents g
divided front Austen Chamberlain and
various unofficial influences in the par
ty going boldly out for the taxation
Of food, while Mr.. Balfour declined tt
commit himself beyond the vague
pledge that tariff reform should no,
have the effect Of enhancing the cost
of living to. the working classes.