THE MISSIONARY OF DEFEAT: MR. CHAMBER. LAIN AND THE ELECTIONS.
pro TIIE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR,'] SIR,—Why does ".0. A.," in last week's Spectator, not mention Bristol ? Mr. Chamberlain made the speech here in Novem. ber which many people thought was the immediate cause of
Mr. Balfour's resignation. The local effect of that speech is shown by the following figures :—
Liberal majority.
Bristol North 2,942
Bristol South 2,692 Bristol East 4,806 North Somerset 2,246 Thornbury Division 2,130 Total ... 14,816 Bristol West C. majority reduced from 1,973 to ... 365 Net Liberal majority 14,451
North Somerset and Thornbury contain the suburbs of Bristol. Before the elections the above six seats were held by five Unionists and one Liberal. Further, in the district of which Bristol is more particularly the centre,—viz., Gloucestershire, Somersetshire, and Wiltshire—the 1900 elections returned nineteen Unionists and eight Liberals, whereas the result of this Election is four Unionists and twenty-three Liberals. Truly the missionary has done his work well.—I am, Sir, &c., . [Mr. Chamberlain maintained his hold on Birmingham on personal grounds. Elsewhere his cause and its advocates fared as badly as it was possible for them to fare. The notion that Mr. Chamberlain has retained the confidence of the country is the wildest of myths.—ED: Spectator.]
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