The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-12-12
New Cabinet
To be Formed
In the British Kingdom After
the Coming General
Election There.

conference OF the National Usionlst
Association, when the platform OF
the Unionlst party was confirmed, 1t
was made very clear that should
there be change OF government in
the United Kingdom, the task of
forming the cabinet would fall up
on the shoulders of Lord Laas-
downe and not upon 'iBbnar Law.
During the last few months, as all
the fghting has been in the House
Of Commons, and attention has been
attracted to that house mbre than
to the House OF Lords, Unionists as
we'll as Liberals have come to regard
Bonar Law as actually, II not tech
nically, leader of his party, as well
as of that part of It which sits in
the House Of Lords. AT the confer
ence, however, it was Lord Lans-
downe, not Mr.. Law, who was
chosen to make the important an
nouneement in regard to the policy
Of the party, a. duty which invaria-
bly, falls to the leader OF the party.
Mr.. Law, twill be remembered,
was chosen leader of the 'Unionist
in the Commons when Mr.. Balfour
retired, but, unlike his predecessor,
Mr.. Law, it win be remembered,
the party. In the American sense,
he is simply floor leader in the Low
er House, and he obtained that po-
sition because the Conservative and
-uaionist elements of what
4 is now known officially as the Union
IS, party could not compose their
differences and elect either of their
leaders. Austen Chamberlain or
Walter Long, to the place. Bonar
Law has not been great success as
a leader and therefore the action OF
the national convention in making
clear that he was not the leader
Of the party in the copltry. Mr.,
Laws direct manner pleases and
arouses the younger element in his
party. The great bulk OF the old
line Conservatives, however, prefer
the old quiet style, of which Mr.
Balfour was the cxemplar, and while
they do not openly oppose, they pri-
yately object to the somewhat exag-
Serated views expressed by Mr.. Law
on what will happen in Ulster if
home rule is passed. for example, or
his support OF the noisy interrupters
in parliament. who the other even
Ing pelted tho prime minister with
paper and in other ways acted In a
manner u1becoming members OF
parliament.
The assumption by Lord Lans-
dowue Of the leadership of the party
also indicates that his health, which
last summer it feared had broken
down, has since greatly improved.
It was also rather marked that at
the convention no mention was
made of the referendum that was to
precede the introduction OF tariff
reform. or tariff for revenue only,
should the Unionists be returned.
During the last election Mr.. Balfour
who IS not very ardent tariff re-
former, was induced by what is
known as the advisory committee Of
the party, consisting OF three Lon
don editors, to say that should the
Unionists succeed in the election the
question of tarff reform would be
referred to a vote Of the people.
Bo1ar Law, who at the time was
running for a Manchester constit-
rency, where tariff reform is not
popular, and generally all the lead
ers and active members of the party
took up the idea and in this way
brought many Unionist free traders
back into the fold. Joseph Cham
ber!ain, the chief apostle of tariff
reform. and his son. Austen Cham
berlain. We're the only prominent
cnionists who repudiated the idea
Of referendum, and declared, so
far as their influence went, the re-
turn Of the Unionists would mean
rAe immediate introduction of a
measure embodying the policy for
which they had fought. Now the
paFty in convention has adopted
their view of the matter.
The other planks OF the party
Platform was thus outlined by Lord
Lausdowne:
Restoration of the British Con-
sdtntion. by which is meant the re-
peal OF the Parliament ACT, which
deprived tho Lords OF their power OF
veto ana the substitution of q meas
NE reforming the Upper House.
The maintenance of the Union
with Ireland, coupled with the con,
anuation of generous policy to
Ireland 50 long as it remains part