The result of the election for the Woodstock Division of
Oxfordshire is very cheering. There was no contest in 1886, when Mr. Maclean, the Liberal Unionist, was elected without opposition. In 1885, before Mr. Gladstone declared for Home- rule, Mr. Maclean was elected as a Liberal by a majority of 189 (4,327 against 4,138), on a total poll of 8,465 votes. On Tuesday last, Mr. Morrell, the Conservative Unionist candidate, for whom the Liberal Unionists worked manfully, was elected by 4,448 votes, against 3,760 given for Mr. Benson, the Glad- stonian candidate (majority, 688), on a total poll of 8,208 votes. In other words, the Conservatives increased their poll by 310 votes, and the Gladstonian poll was smaller by 567 votes than that of the Liberal in 1885. The result is un- doubtedly due to the excellent Unionist canvas amongst the agricultural labourers, which may be ascribed chiefly to the admirable speeches of Mr. Fowle, the Vicar of Islip, Pro- fessor Dicey, and Mr. Jesse Collings, who went down to help in the election. Mr. Fowle's vigorous and lucid speeches were a tower of strength to the Unionist Party. Would that we could have such a representative in South Leicestershire (the Harborough Division, as it is called), where we are probably in greater danger than in any other of the pending by- elections. It is no easy task to convince the rural house- holders that Mr. Gladstone has made the great blunder of his life in taking up the cause of Irish Home-rule. And we do not blame them for being hard to convince on such a, point as that.
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