iends have given up and it is
useless to vote for him any longer. Meanwhile in the course of the
evening feeling between the supporters of Sir Henry and the Roseberyites
has grown so bitter that whatever the deserting Bannermanites do, they
will not help to elect Lord Rosebery. Here and there a Scotch County
remains firm to its leader, but Oxford swings off to Mr. Morley;
Suffolk, amid yells that make it difficult to tell who the vote is cast
for, follows Norfolk and plumps for Crooks. Sussex brings in Mr. Asquith
again and Warwickshire goes for Crooks. Amid breathless silence the
result of the thirteenth ballot is read out: Rosebery, 248; Crooks, 96;
Morley, 72; Asquith, 50; Bannerman, 43; etc.

The fourteenth ballot begins. "Aberdeen!" calls the Chairman. The head
of the Aberdeen delegation stands up in a suspense so tense that it
almost hurts. "Aberdeen casts seventeen votes for Mr. Will Crooks!" In
an instant the whole hall is filled with maniacs. County after County
rushes to range itself on the winning side. Before the roll is more than
half completed it is evident that Crooks must be chosen. Thereafter
there is no dissentient voice. The ballot is interrupted by a voice
which is known to belong to Lord Rosebery's personal representative. He
moves that the nomination of Mr. Crooks be made unanimous. In a din
wherein no voice can be heard the erstwhile leader of the Bannermanite
forces is seen waving his arms and is known to be seconding the motion.
In ten minutes the hall is singing _God Save the King_ and Mr. Will
Crooks is the chosen candidate of the Liberal party to oppose Mr.
Balfour at the coming election.

That is not materially different from what happened when Mr. Bryan was
first nominated for the Presidency against Mr. McKinley--except that it
did not take so long to accomplish. I have said that Mr. Bryan's
nomination could have been defeated if a certain local delegation had
been "attended to" in advance. What is to be noted is that Mr. Crooks
has been nominated simply because he had a hold which could not be
shaken on a small but compact body of men at Woolwich. It is true that
it is not often that so dramatic a thing would happen as the nomination
of Mr. Crooks himself but more frequently an arrangement--a "trade" or
"deal"--would be entered into by which in consideration of the Crooks
vote being thrown to one or other of the leading candidates, in the
event of the latter's defeating Mr. Balfour and be