No doubt one of the most remarkable features of the
Election has been the large vote cast for the Labour Members. .We have never disguised our dislike for class representation; in other words, we hold that a man has no better claim to a seat in Parliament simply for being a working man than for being the son of a Duke. We hope to deal with the whole subject next week, but may say here that we cannot share the misgivings so freely expressed in certain quarters as to the numbers, the aims, and the policy of the Labour Party. It is absurd, in view of the enormous numerical, preponderance of the working-class vote, to quarrel with them for wishing to choose their own representatives, or to regard. the number of their representatives as excessive. That they are capable of obstruction and mischief if they are so mistaken as to accept the advice of Mr. Keir Hardie, and deliberately pursue a wrecking policy, we readily admit. But there is no reason to assume they will be so misguided as to act on this dangerous counsel. The extreme or Socialistic section are negligible in numbers, and the record of many of the new Members negatives the supposition that they will for choice adopt an irreconcilable attitude. For the rest, we have a strong belief, as past experience warrants, in the disciplinary and moderating effect of Parliamentary life, while we recog- nise in the successful financial organisation of the Labour campaign a clear indication that the State payment of Members is unnecessary to secure the direct representation of Labour. Payment of Members would indeed militate against Labour representation. A thousand a year to all Members, as in America, would make the professional politicians too eager for seats to allow the working men their fair share of representation.
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