In North-East Lanark the poll resulted in a still more
signal victory for Free-trade. Mr. Findlay, the Liberal, secured 5,619 votes ; Mr. Touch, the Unionist, 4,677 ; and Mr. Robertson, the Labour candidate, 3,984. This means that the votes cast for Free-trade numbered 9,603 as against 4,677 given for Protection. It cannot be said that this remarkable result was due to the fact that the constituency is always Liberal, for at the last election, when the Free-trade issue was not before the country, a Unionist carried the seat, and the total. Liberal vote was only 7,669. Again, the Unionists, before Mr. Chamberlain broke up the Unionist party, polled 5,673 votes, whereas on Wednesday they only polled 4,677. Without question, this process of Unionist disintegration is going on, and will continue to go on, in every constituency in the country. Instead of sweeping the country, Mr. Cham- berlain has only swept the Unionist party over a precipice. There its shatte red remains will lie till the party, recognising the madness of its leaders, can be reconstructed on a Free• trade basis.
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