The Sentinel=record., 1910-01-15
PARLIAMENT
 CAMPAIGN WAS CLOSED LAST NIGHT IN ENGLAND TO AWAIT THE oNcoMlNG ELECTION. Liberal Organ in England Cries for "vote to Protect vote"-Peers
 Still Try to Ruls the
 Government.

the close of the parliamentary cam paign. It has been fougfiht on an is- sue entirely novel to the people of these times-an issue that has not been raised before for three hundred years; and it has been fought with an intensity of conviction, energy and bitterness unparalleled in Great Bri- tain in the present generation.
 Even the Gladstonlan home rule campaign, which came near destroy ing the liberal party, failed to arouse the political factions to anything like their present vehemence.
 The conflict that opens the ballot boxes tomorrow for the first general election since 1906 is death strug. gle between the two great political parties in the state, the aristocrats and the democrats.
 Vote to protect the vote,' is the exhortation addressed to the people by the leading liberal organ, and it then succinctly portrays how the con. fictp resents itself to the liberals. On the opposing side Is ranged every pos sible influence in support of the priv ileged classes.
 As ample proof that the struggle is concentrated in the demand of the house of commons for a limitation of the powers of the peers may be found ] in the fact that all attempts to make ] home rule and the danger of the dis solution of the union factor in the contest have proved unavailing. The British elector, so far as at present may be judged, declines to greatly concern himself with home rule and it's alleged dangers.
 The Weekly Spectator, free trade 1 organ. representative of moderate men of both parties. makes last de- ! spairnig appeal tonight to the union- ist free traders to vote against the i government and risk a return of the I protectionist party rather than 10 en. danger the integrity of the kingdom, which, it says is in far greater peril !, than ever before, owing to the apathy the country displays towards the Irish question
 The two outstanding features of the campaign have been the determi- nation of the liberals to concentrate the attention of the people on the constitutional struggle involved in the attempt of the peers to control the public purse and realization by the conservatives that the rejection of the budget had been a mistake Ev- cry effort was then made by the op- position 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 German in- vasion, which led the unionists into the doubtful policy of taking up the prominent socialist, Robert Blatch- ford, to help in their attack on the | liberals.
 While under the influence of Jos. eph Chamberlain, tariff reform was pushed forward as the unionists lead ing plank, on this question the party presents a very divided front Austin Chamberlin and various unofficial in- euences in 'tbep arty going boldly out for the taxation of food. while MT. Balfour declined to commit himself beyond the vague pledge that tariff | reform should not have the effect of ! enhancing the cost of living to the working classes. MT. Balfour had left his position open to strong atrack from his opponents because he has not given the slightest indication of the details of the intended tariff. ex- cept that he committed himself to the assurance that no duty would be placed on raw cotton.