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With all this, what chances of a Laberal victory Very Small, unless the Labour-Socialist Votes conciliated. The great
democrati
ature of the recent bye-elections. has been the repeated splitting of vote between 1abourite and Liberal, the subs ntiality of the Labour vote and consequent defeat of the Minisal candidate and return of the Conservative in spite of a denoeratie majority in the constituency. For the Socialist party this is the right policy, by their independent and on an occasion of such vital importance to convince the Lads that they cannot hope to exit as a power without coming to terms with the Socialist vote. But for the Liberals to accept a Triangular contest would be sheer sude It would mean either a
1
the boldest but also the best policy for Ministers. It would definitely raise the question as the one issue of the election and, if confined to the limitation and not the destruc tion of the veto so as to avoid the charge of destroying the constitution, would rally the whole force
Liberalism behind Mr. Asquith. We do not know whether the course has suggested itself to the tacticians of the party, but it seems to
that it gives the only chance of really effective and victorious eleeoneering campaign.
T
sets dive majority, not in the try for the pendulum has not -wing bick so fart in the Hos or a Conservate Ministry with the Irish Nationalists holding the balance of power. It would be well worth Mr. Asquith's while to give the Socialist-Labour faction the 30 seats they hope to win, on condition of holding the other Liberal seats secure from competi
But an accommodation of s kind would mean an alliance h Socialism, as well as with and, and some very drastic social ation in the next iarlament. difficult to gauge the weight Moderate element in the dent and it may be strong h to Eice feat rather than p much an alliance.
..
Whave dealt with this subject 4 tastes at length, partly int d to draw the attention of aders Lo the issues and hal of a great and critical
Bool Bool S
KARMAYOGIN.
election in a democratic come individuality of won The introduction of demortarse mognized. She must be institutions in India, more genuine wed to vote at Parliamentthan the present Refortu Scheme, ary elections on an equal footing cannot be long delayed, and it will with man. be well for those of us who think to study their working in the Eur pean country which serves as a model to others. But beyond this aspect of the elections, there is a deeper interest to us Indians in the great constitutional struggle now at hand. The abolition or limitation of the Lords, veto is a question of supreme importance to the Indian politician. When the time comes, and it is coming surely that popular as semblies have to be established in India, the veto of the Lords will be the one instrument that reaction will use to stay reform for n long season. It is that instrument which has baffled Irish Nationalisin. If it continues to exist it will Laffle Indian Nationalism also. Although, therefore, Liberal and Conservative are one in their attitude towards India, every Indian patriot must watch with keen interest the result of the struggle and desire. not the success of the
deporting Ministry, but victory for the desr yers of the Lords, veto,
SUFFRAGISTS AND SUFFRAGETTES.
It is believed that with the n franchisen nt of women a new moral isin influence of immense propor tions will be thrown into the seale of politics. The sale of narcotics and intoxicants, the regulation of of employment, the protection of public morality, the marriage laws, are all to be interfered with to the bnefit of humanity as a whole. We hope so. To us of the East with our more matriarchal institutions, the political futility of Western wonen, allowed to work for men but not to compete against them in the franchise, has long been a somewhat puzzling spectacle. The day may very possibly arrive, when in a nationalised India, our own women may make the sanje demand as these. If so, however, we can hardly imagine a similar resistance. The immense value of feminine opinion on all questions directly or indirectly bearing on the graver social interests, is self-evident t the Oriental mind. Meantime, as an Indian woman was heard to reply when approached on the subject by feminine agitators, "Our men have not yet got their votes, so we must act, not talk!"
(COMMUNICATED.)
There will be found, in another column, the manly letter written by Messrs. Brailsford and Nevinson conjointly to the London Times, in explanation of their recent resig nation of much-valued appointments on the Daily News, Incidentally the letters calls attention to the very significant struggle now going on in England for the granting of the Parlamentary franchise to women. Women in England are in the position of the subject peoples in the Empire. Being to the full as well-educated and intelligent as the men, and having been made aware through journalism, literature, the modern consolidation of information, and their own essays at practical life and public work generally of many great interests which require to be voiced, the mevitable has happened. They demand to see the end of a gross anomaly. The process of feminine emancipation must be completed. oaps are unrivalled in the market.
It is the history of the movement for women's enfranchisement that makes its value for ourselves s great. Throughout the lives of the present generation, the English have been accustomed to an annual moving of Parliament on behalf of the vote for women, as regular and as ineffective as the annual budget speeches of Indian members in the Viceregal Council. The body of opinion in favour of the vote was undoubtedly growing, and indeed a time came when almost every educated English womar, Apart from the politics of her family was understood to belong to it. Even the men were being won over and were accustomed to score honours in after-dinner speeches and on similar occasions by slowly and deliberately saying that a highly cultivated and intelligent woman might possibly be as well qualified for the vote as an ignorant peasant or factory hand.
Suddenly, however, within the
