The course of the Elections shows it to be most
probable that the votes of the later polls are influenced materi- ally by the votes announced at the earlier polls. During- the first three days of the Elections, though the Liberal gains were 51, the Conservative gains were 17; daring the next week, while the Liberal gains were 61, the Conservative gains were only 6; while we have not a single Conservative gain to record since last week, though the Liberals have gained 17 new seats. This gives pretty good evidence, we think, that during the course of a general election at least, "nothing suc- ceeds like success." It is most improbable that the polls of the first three days should have given the Conservatives no less than seventeen gains to set against their fifty-one losses, and the more numerous polls of the next seven days only six to set against a larger number of losses, if the voting at the later polls had not been influenced by the declarations of the earlier.. To some extent, at least, the people follow the people, though it does not seem that even the spring-tide of Liberalism can surmount the artificial barriers which a suburban-villa popula- tion raise against it. In the metropolitan counties, Conservatism and Jingoism victoriously hold their own.
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