earnestly occupied, the platform will always beat the
Press. Still less should we allow ourselves to be perturbed by the
fortuitous and sporadic results of by-electoral warfare. I suppose I
have fought as many by-elections as most people, and I know that all
the advantages lie with the attacking force. The contests are
complicated by personal and local influences. The discussions turn
upon the incidents of current legislation. There are always grievances
to be urged against the Government of the day. After a great victory,
all parties, and particularly the Liberals, are prone to a slackening
of effort and organisation; after a great defeat all parties, and
especially the Tories, are spurred to supreme exertions.

These factors are common to all by-elections, under all Governments;
but never, I venture to say, has it been more important to an
Opposition to gain by-electoral successes than during the present
Parliament. It is their only possible line of activity. In the House
of Commons they scarcely show their noses. In divisions they are
absent; in debate--well, I do not think we need say much about that;
and it is only by a combination of by-electoral incidents properly
advertised by the Party Press on the one hand, and the House of Lords'
manipulation upon the other, that the Conservative Party are able to
keep their heads above water. And when I speak of the importance to
the Opposition of by-elections, let me also remind you that never
before have by-electoral victories been so important, not only to a
great Party, but to a great trade.

Therefore, while I am far from saying that we should be content with
recent manifestations of the opinion of the electorate, while I do not
at all deny that they involve a sensible reaction of feeling of an
unfavourable character, and while I urge the most strenuous exertions
upon all concerned in party organisation, I assert that there is no
reason, as the history of this country abundantly shows, why a general
election, at a well-chosen moment, and upon some clear, broad, simple
issue, should not retrieve and restore the whole situation.

There could be no question of a Government, hitherto undisturbed by
internal disagreement and consistently supported in the House of
Commons by a large, united, and intact majority, being deflected one
hair's breadth from its course by the results of by-elections. We have
our work to do, and while we have the power to carry it forward, we
have