The San Francisco call., 1910-01-24
LIBERALS HAVE.
BARE MAJORITY
OVER UNIONISTS
British Elections Show Popular
Vote Almost Equally Divided
on Party Lines
With l67 Seats TO Be Filled
Politicians Expect Nation
lists Will Control


objection of the oldest politicians have
the British parties been in such per-
picking position AS they are today. So
evenly divided viii be the membership
Of the next house of commons and so
close is the popular vote that the result
of the elections for all practical pur-
poses may be considered a tie.
No human mind can divine which of
the questions before the electors had
the most influence at the polls or
whether the results mean that the
people demand tariff reform, are loyal
" the lords. anxious TO reject Lloyd
o Georges budget or whether all three
of these had an equal effect.
All prophets predict that the cabinet
VIII find itself in the minority within a
year and that the country will plunge
into another general election.
POPULAR VOTE Is CLOSE
The remarkable figures recorded at
this stage of the balloting foreshadows
clearly how nearly equal both the pop
ular vote and the membership of the
house Of commons will be divided be-
tween the two great factions. The
popular vote stands: Unionists. 2.5s5.-
10 nberals, 2.324.315; laborites 1885,
10 This gives the united liberal
laoor party majority of l53SO3 in a
total vote Of 5,2S5I57
ihe membership of the house of com
mons today is a tie, the unionists and
the combined liberals and labor party
each having elected 21S representa-
one hundred and sixty-seven seats
remain TO be filled. of which IO2 are
Ensllsil In the last parliament these
we're Inionists. SO. liberals, 1I5: ma
Uonalis'1s. IS. Should the present
trend OF voting continue neither the
-hlonists nor the liberals can muster a
majority OF more than dozen. and the
Irish natfonalists with So votes viii
De masters Of the situation.
TWO BATTLES FOR PREMIER
Premier Asquith has two battles TO
ls ito reform the house of lords and
10 pass the budget which failed and
The budget for the coming wear tn
prospects are that both the peers and
me nationalists viii vote for the
budgets
Tie house Of lords can be reformed
only by a bin which the lords must
swallow They may deny that the
country has given mandate for this.
no country with written cOnstitu-
rlon. such as the United states. thev
point out. can make such changes bv a
mere majority.
Home rule is not likely to get far
next session, according to well versed
politicians because the reform of the
house Of lords, which the prime minis
ter has written at the head of his pro-
gram, promises a great struggle. John
Redmond. leader Of the nationaIists.
VIII be almost as important as the pre-
lnier. because Asquith can do nothing
without him.
CHARGES OF INTIMIDATION
The surprise of the campaign has
been that the manufacturing centers
with a few exceptions, have gone for
free trade. while the squirearchies
shifted to the protection party.
The one time chivaIrous atmosphere
of British politics has been wonderful
ly changed. SO much personal feeling
and so many charges Of lying and in
timidat tion have been unknown since
the reform bin days. Liberals make
wholesale charges that factory work
men. farm laborers and tenants have
been dismissed and threatened with
eviction for supporting their party.
Position of NationaIists
DUBLIN Jan. 2S.-The situation
created by the British elections is one
OF no little difficulty for nationalist
leaders. On the one hand they probably
have ii in their power to make or un-
make any government dependent upon
the new house Of commons for ex-
istence: on the other, their experience
IN the home rule parliament of 1902
convinces them that measures in the
direction or a national self government
for ireland must have the support of
an adequate British majority if they
are to be carried successfully.
Hence. John Hammond, leader of the
nationa lists, has expressed the wish
that the liberals may have an independ-
ent majority to overcome the house of
lords vote. and such a majority is re-
garded here as essential.
Another source OF difficulty is the DO
sition Of the Irish party in relation to
the budget. Although Ireland on the
whole. was benefited financially bv
lnea sures Of the recent liberal govern
ment. there are features of the budget
TO which irish opinion takes strong
exception.
When that question is settled the
irish question. nationalist leaders as
sert. must assume an immediate i'm
portance.
BUTTE COUNTY'S LARGEST