The Monmouth Election affords strong proof of the soundness of
popular opinion in regard to the war on which we have again and again insisted. Though the constituency is in South Wales, that is, in a district necessarily affected by the outcry against the Coal-tax, and though the circum- stances under which the vacancy was created must have disgusted many of the Unionists, the Unionist candidate carried the day by a majority of 343. Though this is a slight decrease, there was no falling-off in the Unionist vote, the narrower majority being due to an increase in the Home-rule poll. In our opinion, the result was due to the determination of the electors to do nothing to weaken the Government till the war was over. They realised the necessity for concentra- tion upon the essential object,—the complete defeat of the Boers.
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