n. The political
complexion of almost every County is known and there is no chance of
changing that complexion--a condition, be it said, which exists in
America in the case of a large majority of the States. It is evident
that at the coming election the vote is going to be extremely close, the
most important of the "doubtful" Counties being Lanarkshire, which has
25 votes; which 25 votes will of course be governed by the course of the
working population of Glasgow. Whichever party can secure Lanarkshire's
vote will probably be successful; so that the destiny of the country
really depends on the temper of the labouring men of Glasgow. Glasgow
has, let us suppose, a strong and well-organised local Liberal "machine"
which carried the city at the last municipal election, so that the mayor
and a large majority of the aldermen of Glasgow are Liberals to-day; and
the dictator or "boss" of this machine is (we are merely using a name
for the sake of illustration) Lord Inverclyde. Lord Inverclyde does not
believe that Lord Rosebery is the right man for the Premiership. So he
lets his views be known to the Liberal National Committee. "I am, as you
know," he says, "a strong Liberal; but frankly I would rather see Mr.
Balfour made Prime Minister than Lord Rosebery. Glasgow will not vote
for Lord Rosebery. The party can nominate any other man whom it pleases
and we will elect him. I will undertake to carry Lanark for Sir Henry or
Mr. Morley or anybody else; but I warn you that if Lord Rosebery is
nominated, we will 'knife' him"--that being the euphonious phrase used
to describe the operation when a party leader or party machine turns
against any particular candidate nominated by the party.

What are the party leaders to do in such a case? To nominate Lord
Rosebery after that warning (Lord Inverclyde is known to be a man of his
word) will be merely to invite defeat at the election; consequently,
though he may be the actual preference of a large majority of the
Liberals of the country, Lord Rosebery does not get the nomination. It
goes to some one who can carry Lanarkshire,--some one, that is, who is
pleasing to the boss of the local machine of Glasgow. It would be not
unlikely that the national leaders might resent the dictation of Lord
Inverclyde and might (but not until after the election was safely over)
start intriguing in Glasgow politics to have him dethroned from the
position of local "boss,"--might, in fact, begin "knifing" him