Whether that successor is to be Mr. Austen Chamberlain or
Mr. Walter Long, or, again, a third man, is naturally a matter of great importance, but we venture to say this is nothing compared with the importance of giving whoever is chosen the entire and unanimous support of every section of the Unionist Party. Every regret, every prejudice, every sense of wrong- doing even, must be sternly suppressed in order to face the enemy with greater power. We have thrown out elsewhere the suggestion that if unity is best to be seemed by the choice of a third man, that man should, if possible, be Mr. Lowther, the present Speaker. We feel sure that in him the Unionist Party has a great unrealized asset, and if he can be persuaded to leave the Speakership and undertake the work it is almost impossible to exaggerate the effect which such a choice would have upon the fortunes of the Unionist Party. The respect for and the obedience habitually shown to the Speaker would make the task of uniting the various sections of the Uniortst Party for him comparatively easy. If Mr. Lowther were to become the Leader of the Opposition it would not be long before he would be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
