SIR C.DILK'S ADIEUX

Dunstan Times, Issue 1279, 3 September 1886, Page 1

SIR C.DILK'S ADIEUX

[By an Eye-Witness.]

Long before the declaration of the poll on Monday night, July sth, King’s road, Chelsea, presented an extraordinary scene For hours a dense crowd moved up and down the street, impeding the vehicular traffic and fully taxing the patience of the mounted police. Not only had all Chelsea turned out, hut the throng was swollen by contingents of electors from neighboring boroughs, anxious to learn the fate of Sir Charles. The poll was declared from the balconies of the offices of the Board of Guardians at midnight. While the limelight flashed from the Tory committee-room across the way, bringing into view the fatal figures, “Whitmore, 4304; Dilke, 4128,” a wild yell of triumph rose from one-half of the surging multitude, alternated by a low, fierce hissing from the other half. Fair hands, with lighted tapers to reveal the result, were stretched forth over the balcony, and the fair faces of their owners gleamed with a savage glee. At a second balcony, near to the successful candidate, stood Sir Charles Dilke, attired in a white overcoat, his wife, ever present in the hour of need, by his side. A cheer arose as the baronet was recognised, and for several minutes the tumult was indescribable. Hats and handkerchiefs waved, men cheered, women shrieked, and the railings in front of the building seemed to give way under their living load. A few words, utterly inaudible to all but those at his side, having been spoken by Mr Whitmore, Sir Charles retired to his committee room, closely followed by a good half of the crowd, who cheered their favorite lustily, answering shouts, loud and long, proceeding from the multitude which remained behind. The main body of the Dilke audience rapidly formed into a close and orderly mass at the coiner of Manresa street, while the beaten cans didate struggled upstairs through his committee-rooms, presently appearing upon the leads outside, accompanied by a goodly number of male and female friends, conspicuous being Lady Dilke, also in white costume. He looked down for some moments upon the sympathetic, cheering, gigantic crowd, who sang, “ He' ; s a Jelly Good Fellow ” and “ Auld Lang Syne ” in defiant reply to the “ Rule Brittania ” of the Whitmore host. At length he lifted his hand in mute appeal, and silence was quickly res stored, only to be broken again and again by enthusiastic plaudits as this hero of a lost but gallanc fight ads dressed a few words to bis faithful followers. He told them that, as far as Mr Whitmore was personally concerned, that gentleman had fought the contest very fairly. “ Bribery,” and “ Petition him.” Imploring his hearers to refrain from spite or unseemly demonstration. Sir Charles went on to say that during the last two days he had begun'to anticipate the result of the election ; but he ventured to prophecy that, notwithstanding his defeats and other defeats, and the unanimity of the metropolitan Press against them, the question which was mainly at issue would be settled on the lines he had placed before them, and as they had settled it in their minds during the election, not perhaps on the exact lines of the scheme lately presented, which he had in part condemned—namely, as regarded the laud portion of it. Then, with a ring ot genuine sadness in his tone, and amid repeated cheers, Sir Charles touched upon the personal aspects of the election. He had had a good deal to bear, but to be defeated in a constituency in which the ties of affection had been so close as had been the case in Chelsea was the heaviest blow that could fall upon ’ him. He could not trust himself to speak more than those few bald words, except to say that he felt that in his defeat those ties would be drawn closer than ever.—(Cries of “Cheer up, Charley. We’ll put you in next time.”) The representation of Chel* sea with him had not been the question of a s p at in Parliament. On occasion after occasion he had been asked to accept safer seats, but repre« senting Chelsea was to him a very different thing from representing any other place. They had been beaten by the defection at the last moment of some of his oldest political and personal friends Looking to the inde • pendenee of his attitude upon the question at issue, he felt that some of them might well have strained a point.— (“Curse them.” and cheers). On the oiher hand he did feel that in their defeat the ties of sympathy had For rest of flews see Fourth Page