The Oswestry election, the result of which was announced on
Wednesday, tells the same story that has been told by, all the other by-elections. The country will have nothing to do with Mr. Chamberlain's unhappy policy. I. pol at a by-election the united Unionist party held the seat by a majority of 1,088. Now the Liberals hold it by a majority of 385. It is impossible to urge that the result does not concern Mr. Chamberlain, for Mr. Bridgeman was a Chamberlainite of the most pronounced views, and " went the- whole hog " for Tariff Reform. Mr. Bridgeman, in spite of the gigantic efforts made by his supporters, only polled 4,157 votes, or 361 less than the Unionist polled at a normal by- election in 1901. On the other hand, Mr. Bright, the Free- trade candidate on both occasions, polled 1,112 votes more than in 1901. A stranger fashion of sweeping the country than this it is difficult to imagine. In truth, no Protectionist seat. is safe where the majority is not at least 1,200. This is what Mr. Chamberlain's policy has done for the Unionist party. We trust, however, that Unionist Free-traders will find this a reason, not for abandoning their party, but for remaining in it, determined, first, to make the defeat of Protection as crushing as possible, and next, to reconstitute their party on a Free- trade basis.
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