We see signs that may portend a tyrannical effort to
hunt old colleagues and leaders out of the party. Seaham, which might be proud to return a Prime Minister, is asking Mr. MacDonald to retire. There should be an opportunity for Mr. Henderson to show his authority and good feeling ; or share the shame. Mr. Snowden's pending retirement is different, being due to his ill- health, against which he has for many years kept up a most gallant fight. Mr. Thomas has had to resign from his position in the National Union of Railwaymen, and no one can fail to sympathize with him. We have never regarded him as a great statesman, but always as a sound and patriotic Englishman. His delight in rising from engine-cleaning to Cabinet rank has been naif, but it is a fine illustration of English life. He is very shrewd, a man who would quickly see which way a cat will jump ; the more honour to him, if he saw which way the Labour Party would jump, that he refused to jump the same way. As a bargainer on their behalf railwaymen owe him an untold debt, and we are glad to see that a Derby branch of the N.U.R. has " assured him their full confidence in this crisis."
Previous page
