The Dominion Tuesday, APRIL 28, 1908 MR: CHURCHILL'S DEFEAT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 183, 28 April 1908, Page 6

The Dominion Tuesday, APRIL 28, 1908 MR: CHURCHILL'S DEFEAT.

lii tlie defeat at tho North-West Manchester by-election [of Mr. Winston Churchill by the Unionist candidate, Mr. Joyiigon Hicks, tlie Liberal. Government cannot fail to read the writing ftn • the wall presaging at no distant date the end of its -tenure of office. This signal reverse following •on the loss of several; other seats to the Opposition quite' recently unmistakably demonstrates the change ill public opinion since the last general election. In l!)0O Mr. Churchill polled 5639 votes to Mr. Hicks's 4398, showing a liiajoiity of 1241| in the polling •on Saturday Mr. Hicks's minority of 1241 was turned into a majority over his Liberal opponent of 429, while the total Unionist majority over, Liberal iuid Labour votes combined was 153, as against the Liberal majority of 1241 in 1906. That the voting was general and keen is shdwn in the fact that but of 1i,914 electors no fewer than 10,681 recorded; their votes, or a percentage, of 89. There is no room here for specioxis arguments as to indifference On the part of the electors, or of difficulties of recording Votes, or some slight defection from the Liberal party at the last moment. The broad fact stands but bare and ugly that the Liberal ; party at Home has lost, and is losing steadily day by day, that support by which alone it can continue to h6ld the reins of government. To those who have closely followed the course of political events in the Old Country, Mr. Churohill's defeat will not have come exaotly as a Surprise. He had to geek re-election at, a singularly critical juncture., Not only is tlie country torn by party excitement in connection with the Licensing Bill and the Education Bill, but, above all, the death of Sir Henry CaihpbellBannerman has undoubtedly relaxed the stringency of party ties so far as the Liberals are. concerned, and to a greater extent so far as the Labour party is concerned; The hew Premier, the Hon. Mr. Asquith, 1 has not had time, even if he were capable thereof, to ingratiate himself as leader with the main body of the party. He does not hold the Liberals to hiili by the same sympathetic influence which was the main characteristic of Sir Henry Campbell-Baiinerman' s power over all his followers. The Labour party is probably antagonistic to Mr. Asquith, and distrusts him. Exactly the same position has been'found in New Zealand since the death of the late Mr. Sfiddon. Sir Joseph Ward cannot be said to sway his party as a whole' as did Mr. Seddon. The final facing; about of Liberal and Labour waverers, Whoni Si? Henry Campbell-Bannerman by the magic of his personality would have firm, is probably, a large .factor iit the Itist moment of Mr. Win-1 et'aa CnuxoMll's defeatat the noli.

The other causes alleged are tlie trend of popular feeling in support of tariff reform; the antagonism to. the Government raised by the Licensing 1 . kii'l the Education Hill; and the injudicious reference by Mr. Churchill to Mr. Asquitli's and his own attitude towards Home Rule in the event of the Liberal Government retaining office after the next general election. The London "Times" states that tariff rewas made the main issue at the election, and the " Manchester, Guardian " declares that the business centre of Manchester has struck a damaging blow at Free l Trade. These statements are hard to credit. Manchester litis always been known ;ls staunch to the Free Trade ideal, and it is almost incredible that such a volte face should have so speedily and so suddenly occurred on the part of its business men when a principle so vital to its interests was at stake. Far more likely does it seem that the widespread unpopularity, among the people, of the Licensing Bill, the dissatisfaction of all olas-ses with the Education Bill, and tlie unsettling of the party by the death of Sir H. CampbellBannerinan have been the chief factors in this defeat of Mr. Churchill, through which the Liberal Government may be said to have received the most damaging' blow inflicted upoii' it since its return to office.