The result of the election for Stockton-on-Tees was declared on
Saturday. Sir Horace Davey (the Gladstonian) won the seat, but by so narrow a majority (395) that the victory was really a defeat. Sir Horace Davey polled 3,889 votes, against 3,494 votes given for Mr. Wrightson, the Unionist. In 1885, Mr. Dodds, the Liberal candidate, won the seat against Mr. Wrightson by a majority of 1,103, and in 1886,—fight- ing then as a Gladstonian,—by a majority of 1,002; so that the Gladstonian majority has dwindled from 1,002 to 395, or by 607 votes, since the last election. Nor can the majority be referred to abstentions. Sir Horace Davey polled more votes than Mr. Dodds polled in 1886, though not so many as Mr. Dodds had polled in 188.5, when he represented the united Liberal Party. Mr. Wrightson, who was champion of the Unionists on both the last occasions, and the Conservative candidate on the first occasion, polled a much higher number of votes than even in 1885. Then he polled 3,136, while last week his poll reached 3,494. We do not regard the election as
proving that the country is turning decisively Unionist, for we have little confidence at any time in by-elections as a test. But we do think that the Colchester election and the Stockton election taken together ought to put a stop to the confident assertions of the other side that Mr. Gladstone is carrying everything before him, and ought to divert Mr. Gladstone himself from those elaborate arithmetical calculations by which he has lately so often reassured himself and misled his enthusiastic adherents.
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