a review of the activity
of the Liberal Government, "The Reformers' Year Book" stated: "The
story of Chinese labour in the Transvaal during the year 1906 has been
one of continuous perfidy on the part of the Liberal Government at
home. Returned to power largely on account of the opposition of the
people of this country to Chinese slavery in any shape or form, they
have burked the main issue at every point, and only carried out a few
minor changes which have been totally ineffective, retaining all the
while a hypocritical devotion to the popular ideal."[646] "The Liberal
Government has failed entirely to justify the confidence reposed in it
by the electorate, not only upon the newer questions as they have
arisen--such as the war in Natal--but on the very matters upon which
it was returned to power, of which the chief was the continuance of
Chinese labour in the Transvaal."[647]

Socialists think that the Liberal agitation against the House of Lords
is insincere and hypocritical. "Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman's brave
talk about fighting the House of Lords sounds very much like blarney
when we call to mind the fact that he has beaten all records in the
creation of peers. He has not yet been two years in office, but he has
managed to make no less than twenty new peers. They include a tobacco
man, a whisky man, a newspaper man who sold his journal to the Tories,
several usurers and company promoters."[648]

The assurance of the Liberals that they are the friends of Labour is
doubted in view of the attitude of the party towards Labour
candidates. "Liberals are continually saying that there is no quarrel
between Liberalism and Labour. Why, then, do we have the constantly
recurring spectacle of a middle-class Liberal being run against a
popular and capable man who can claim to directly represent the people
who live by the work of their hands and heads as distinguished from
those who live upon rent, dividends, or interest? Are there not even
upon the Liberal side plenty of landlords, railway directors, bankers,
stockbrokers, and employers of labour, that a seat cannot be spared to
a workman till he wins it in despite of Liberal and Tory opposition
alike?"[649]

An amalgamation of the Liberals and the Socialist-Labour members is
impossible. "Liberal-Labourism" is a delusion. "Labour men and
capitalist Liberals are beginning to see that individualism and
co-operation will not mix. If Liberalism to-day swallows Labourism, it
w