4 JUNE 1910, Page 3

Last Saturday's Westminster Gazette drew attention to the fact that

on the previous Thursday it asked the Spectator to tell it " what it really thought of the conduct of the Cheshire Magistrate, the Tory who dismissed two of his men for having showed their Liberal colours in a Tory motor-car in which he had ordered them to go to the poll." The Westminster then goes on to express its disappointment that we did not meet this challenge, but very rightly suggests the shortness of time as the reason of our silence. It adds :—" Perhaps next Saturday we shall have the pleasure of being told what the Spectator's views are as to the Cheshire Magistrate and the Berkshire lady cottage-owners." We are delighted to do what the Westminster Gazette asks. We regard it as in no sense unreasonable that one newspaper should ask another to express its opinion on a point of public interest. Granted the facts, we think the conduct of the Cheshire Magistrate who dismissed two of his men on the grounds stated by the West- minster absolutely inexcusable, and we are sincerely sorry that no punishment should have fallen upon him for such action. We detest political intimidation in any shape or form, and naturally as Unionists we detest it even more in a Unionist than in a Liberal.