Mr. Asquith, not being a Peer, but only a Cabinet
Minister with ten times the patronage of any Peer, has intervened in the Berwickshire election in the most decided way. He has made a speech which almost covers the field of politics, whit- tling away Home-rule into local self-government under an "effective and omnipotent" Parliament at Westminster, promising Scotch Disestablishment, and justifying the hetero- geneous groups that together form the Gladstonian party. We have said enough on those subjects elsewhere, but may say here that Mr. Asquith relied on something else. This Govern- ment, he maintained, was the true friend of Labour. It had been the first to set an example to the private employer. It desired short -hours, and in a short time, in all Government establishments, no man would be employed for a longer time than forty-eight hours a week. He himself had added greatly to the number of inspectors who prevent unsanitary condi- tions in dangerous trades, and his private Secretary, Mr. Tennant—the candidate—had done most of the work on the Commission appointed to investigate into the lead industry. He maintained, moreover, that he had fought the labourers' battle about the Employers' Liability Bill, because if it were really made universal and compulsory, it would greatly increase the precautions against accidents, which private arrangements would not. We should like to know why not ; but on that matter no explanation was offered. In short, it is as the special friend of the working man that Mr. Asquith defends this Cabinet, and not as Disestablisher, Irish Home- ruler, or even advocate of Scotch sell-rale.
