The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-02-26
BY T. p. o'CoNEoR.


Public Ledger Correspondence.
Copyright. 1920. by Public Ledge" co.
LONDON Feb. 7.-ralk!nE 10 very
, strong and lifelong Liberal the other
day who was rather wounded by the
support which tho Irish voters in IN"
British constituencies have been giving
TO the Labor az against the Liberal can
didatcs-and especially at their keeping
out Str John Simon in thu Spen valley
division. for 1t was the IRISH Vote OF be
tween 1000 and 5000 that made just
tho difference between the Labor and
the Liberal cand!date--l was surprised
by the statement at the end OF his re
, monstrauCc The statement was that
his son and dauGhter-the son a young
demob!lzed soldier and tho daughter
very intelligent and wcll-cducated girl
had Joined the Labor party. And |
should add to bring out this Stran6"
fact into greater relief that the HON"
was ono of strict nouHontormtty--and
the noucontornists. as you may know In
America. have been for generations the
tronSide certcr of the Liberal party.
This is a symptom Of tn" times. Tho
new labor movement - II l!ttia like sim
Feip IN ireland IN that II ~ making a
specially successful appeal 10 the young.
II holds 4 now vision o. 4 new and bet
ter future: and /, has. therefore. that
tremendous appeal which ut all epoch"
of human history comes from some
thing at once move! and !draI.Stc.
Old Politicians Surprised.
That is one section on which tho Labor
party can count. Hut thcr" ~ another
section which. /" tn" surprise Of all old
politicians. has Joined them with "qua!
unauim!ty. Ey one Of TIM DarRd"NrS or
English life there WAS no class or tho
loo, ~ II /
cal parties could rely more confidently
than the clerks. However lowly his
position and however small his salary,
tie Clerk-aud especially the clerk In
tho city OF London--w3S always a pro
ucunced and even flanhuyaDt Tory. st
was partly because OF the suohhShuesS
that sometimes possesses the souls or
those who have what l may call tho
shady genteel position in society. The
clerk was poor. 1t Is true; but he was
always woll-dressed: always wore a top
hat and a black coat he fanc!cd himself,
rs the English say; and !au'ying MN
self he chung 20 the party which was
supposed 70 Ia par excellence, the gen
tlemsnly party.
Well, tho incredible has happened. the
clerks have gone over To tho Labor par
ty-top hats. black coats and all THIS
l learned from an lriShman who Is
high official on tho London County
Comedian Ir!shman with sense "
humor and some Cyn!C.Sm and VIII"
laughed heartily when he found tho for
mer crushed Tories among his young
, associates now talking tho language Or
the new social religion.
The third section which forms tho
new battal!ons in the now Labor army
, IS the women. and especially the women
who have recently got the votes. This
must be ono OF the reasons that aG-
! counts for tho extraordinary size OF the
labor vote in such constituencies as ST.
Adams and Bromley. Both these places
! belonR Nmphatlcally TO what We call in
/ Iondon-with tho sCorn thmt Ia now
! Observation-Disclosures I need not tell
YOU in America that when an English
writer speaks OF anything or anybody as
suburban" he has used the last word
| Of intellectual contempt: II 81 almost
as bad as Early Victorian.
! These two constituencies are inhahit-
| cd largely by wcll-to-do men Of bust
/ ness. who spend their days making
| money IN tho city and then go home {"
/ their dwelling places at night. They
| are A little TO London what Long Island
! Is TO Now York. Here again you strlk"
/ mo stratum OF English Suc!c'S which u.
pre-war days might be counted "a more
emphat!cally Tory than even the an
! client sQuires with ancestral acres "r
! the parSUn trembling for tho livugS Of
! an established state-endowed church.
! They Piled Up Labor Votes
/ Yet these arc tho two constituencies
! which recently piled up Labor votes by
! the ton thousand. The explanation |
/ g. H.,
regard most things from the horizon oC
! their own daily experiences are at the
! moment more concerned At tho amour,
! Of their household bills than anything
! elso In tho world. They do not trouble
+ about ConstantIuople or Armenia or the
/ Saar Valley or even the League Of Ma
, lions. They arc much more concerned
! with tho rising prices OF beef and NUT
! ton, OF the egg that formed part &C
every good Briton's breakfast: nhoT"
all. Of tho terrific bills that came when.
! ever they venturcd To give their chill
| dren or their husband II new suit IL
clothes or. now pair Of boots. And AZ
a government Is held responsible" Cor all
! evils they voted against the government
because the government meant to them
the high prices that wcro making l.r"
impossible 10 every household.
/ Finally. there Is 10 ho added 70 the
I new sections that have lNpSed from
! Toryism into Labor tho budding poll
! ticians always ready 10 rush from the
| dead king to tbs now. When people
( ask where tho Labor cabinet is E"inS
/ to set i's new ministers Of cduraiIon
: and training. people who know English
/ life smile; there rarely has been an in
/ stance in English history when prime
! minister has not been Rbls to get plenty
! Of people 70 take the fat Jobs auj n"
great social positions whlah place IN
tho cabinet best0ws.
= Already some ot the rising PARISHES
Z hsve Joined the labor party They hav"
. also been jo!nod by a number ur pom
: conformity clsrEym"r. Tho unu..n-
: f,r'n!st clergyman is IN politics ia ing
{ land IN = peculiarly favorable position