Mr. Holden, the Chairman of the Liberal Unionist Asso- ciation
at Southport, has done a really notable thing. His letter to Sir George Pilkington explaining his reasons for supporting the Radical candidate has introduced a real touch of humour into what, for all persons outside the con- stituency, is usually the dreariest of all dreary things, a by- election. His reasons for voting against the Unionist candidate are,--(1) That Home-rule is dead ; (2) that the present Govern- ment have neglected the interests of the Income-tax payers ; (3) that the Government have passed a Workmen's Compensa- tion Act but exempted agriculture ; (4) that trade has been harassed at home and not sufficiently fostered abroad, witness Siam, Tunis, and Madagascar ; (5) that there is reason to fear that the Government are going to prevent persons under fifteen being employed in factories; (6) that '4 grasping landlordism " is more likely to be put down by a Liberal than a Conservative Government. In other words, the electors are to vote against this Government because it is not Jingo enough and much too Socialistic in its ideas except where land is concerned. We have dealt elsewhere with this marvel- lous notion that the way to get a sound Jingo and anti-Socialist policy is to put Sir William Harcourt and Mr. Morley in office, and will only say here that we wonder Mr. Holden does not say, what we are quite sure he feels, namely, that the only way to preserve the House of Lords from coercion is to overthrow the present Government, and that the failure of the Gov, r a- ment to repeal the Death-duties makes it necessary for every friend of property to vote for the Opposition.
