It is not for us to judge these internal riots
in the Liberal Pasty, but we may venture upon a few remarks merely as out- siders. We can imagine the scorn and acidulated irony with which such scenes would have been commented upon by every liberal newspaper if they had happened at a Unionist meeting. We should have been told that the rights of free speech had been denied by blinded and unprincipled politicians, and that the majority had stupidly thrown away a glorious opportunity of voting their opponents out of existence, an opportunity in which practical unanimity would have enjoyed all the backing of-reason and fair play. At the-same time—not being Liberals, and therefore having a dose of original sin—we-cannot, prof em to be surprised at the rancour which the "Wee Frees" displayed. They -were all crowded out at the General Election, unless they were -able to flourish the coupon of Mr. Lloyd George ; and now that they form a very small and compact band at the heels of Mr. Asquith they remember more bitterly than ever the dark methods by which Mr. Asquith was hounded from office.
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