The next important election by Ballot will be that at
Freston, which is likely, it is said, to take place about this
day week, or early in the week following. There are two candidates already in the field, and there is one, be- sides, hanging uncertainly on its outskirts, who may, let us hope, find it of no use even to attempt a canvas. Major German is the Liberal candidate, and Mr. Holker, Q.C., the Con- servative, and the Conservatives express themselves as absolutely confident of winning the seat. The third speculator in the field is Mr. Odger, who wants to see if he cannot make a party out of the "Home Rulers, Trades' Unionists, and Republicans," and expresses himself as quite indifferent to the Liberal party, which is hardly the case, for he appears to be rather more hostile to it than to the Conservatives. As the Conservatives beat the Liberals by a majority of 1,000 at the general election, and the tide has turned even more against the Liberals since, the Ballot will indeed work a revolution if it brings the Liberals even near to success, especially as Mr. Holker, Q.C., keeps to safe Conservative raptures about the Constitution, almost of the kind in which a girl indulges about her favourite regiment or poet.
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