BRITISH POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 January 1919, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

LONG ASSOCIATION BROKKt;

MR ASQUITH AND EAST FIFE.

An East Fife writer in the JJaily Telegraph lias the following to say about the defeated Liberal leader:— Mr Asquith has represented East Fife since 1886. It was Home ilule which brought him into the political lield as a Gladstonian candidate against MrBoyd ilinnear, the then sitting member, who stood as a Liberal Unionist A literal "carpet-bagger," Mr Asquith arrived at Lady bank—the rallying-ground 0 i the scattered constituency—one Saturday morning, his chief claim to distinction being his sudden success as a barrister in the Parnell case. The Radicals of East Fife, mostly . weavers, ploughmen, and fishermen, were not too pieased at having a "young lawyer body" from London dumped amongst them and it was before an extremely critical gathering that he made his debut. His election address was confined almost exclusively to the Irish question; and it was his survival of a searching cross-examination that first won for the future Prime Minister the approval of the famous hecklers of East Fife. In Doric, which to the candidate was scarcely at times intelligible, questions covering the whole range of the political field were put with penetrating appositeness by well-read weavers. For an hour and a half the cross-examination went on, and it required all the younglawyer's readiness of tongue and knowledge of current and historical events to enable him to jreate the desired impression. i

NEVER-TO-BE-FORGOTTEN ORDEAL. This introduction to the "metaphysical mind" of the Scottish heckler Air. Asquith has since more than once playfully recalled as a never-to-be-forgotten ordeal. By it, mutual respect was established between candidate and electors, and the happy relationship between Air Asquith and his constituents has remained unbroken ever since. Two years ago the semi-jubilee of his representation was celebrated, and bis younger daughter, Miss Elizabeth Asquith, at the' presentation with whicii tiie event was marked, created 110 small amusement by remarking in a maiden speech that the long connection between her father and East Fife did credit alike to the intelligence of both! An amusing incident occurred at Newport on the polling day of his first election. An old hand-loom weaver, keener on his loom than on the election, could not be persuaded to go to the pollingbooth. A canvasser struck a bargain with him. "Aff ye go to the poll," lie ordered, "an' I'll wurlc ver lim till ye come back." The Laodicean consented 011 those conditions, slyly aware that the canvasser was as good a weaver as lie was keen a Radical The old man did not return for . two hours, during which, time the canvasser plied the loom with angry vigor In recent years the constituency has undergone considerable changes. When Air Asquith first became member it was almost entirely rural, being made up of some fishing villages and a few townships where the linen industry was carried on. The development of the Buckhaven and Leven coalfield lias resulted in the introduction of a new type of elector—the collier The seeds of Socialism have been sown amongst these industrial toilers, "but it does not take kindly to the soil .

PLOUGHMEN'S SUPPORT. A moderate Labor man might alienate some of Mr Asquith's support—the adjoining constituency of West Fife was proof of this in 1910, when Mr W. Adainson, the miners' agent, standing as a Labor candidate, wrested the seat from the Liberals in a straight fight- Apart from the newer industrial centres Mr Asquith's chief supporters are the ploughmen of, the extensive rural areas, who stand by "Awskwith"' with a devotion approaching that of Birmingham's loyalty to Mr Chamberlain. The farmers themselves are chiefly Unionist. Puring the war election, when so many Scots constituencies "went over" to the then Government, the local Unionists entertained the belief during polling day that Mr Asquith had at last been ousted. What raised their hopes was the fact that several hundred ploughmen drove to the polling stations in Unionist vehicles, hut, as usual, they voted bluff and red, The chief Unionist strongholds of the constituency are on Tayside, across the river from Dundeb, of which Tayport and Wormist are for practical purposes residential suburbs. Among the older type of Presbyterian in East Fife there is stili a lingering fear of Hoaie Bule on religious grounds. At the later elections m Mr Asquith's connection with, the constituency he has "run round'' the division in a somewhat, perfunctory manner. This' independence, however, has done nothing to shake his hold over his followers. Nowadays he ha? a short way with hecklers. A "Yes" nv a "No" or a dismissal of questions S3 J "hypothetical," is his method.