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POLITICAL SEE-SAW.

THE CONTEST 1.N CAR-DIG AJNSHIRE.

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THE CONTEST 1.N CAR- DIG AJNSHIRE. MR VAUGHAN DAVIES has been selected by a sufficient number of districts in Cardigan- shire to give him a substantial majority of votes over Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS, and there was nothing for the delegates at Lampeter to do except register the conclusion reached. A good deal has been said about Con- servatives who have voted at some of the meetings, and it is not improbable that in a few of the places Conservatives turned the scale against Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS and in favour of Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES. In other places, however, where Conservative influences were said to have secured Mr VAUGHAN DAVIKS'S nomination, second meet- ings have been held and the firsi decision has almost in every case been confirmed. We regret the decision of the, majority of the Liberal electors, but we do not intend to explain away the fact, and we frankly accept what seems to us to be a more com- plete defeat of Liberalism than if Mr HARFORD. the Conservative candidate, had been placed at the head of the poll by a laige majority. When Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES was some years ago made the treasurer of what by courtesy is called the Cardigan- shire Liberal Association we looked upon his candidature as certain. He was practically selected then. We never under-estimated his efforts, and over and over again we have urged the Radicals of the county to form a real Liberal Association and to live up to their principles. We urged in vain. Nothing was done by the nominal leaders. The districts have been forced to act on their own judgment and the result is that the PRESIDENT of the Cardiganshire Con- servative Association nine years ago is now the Liberal candidate. We believe that a large number of those who were in favour of Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS will now work and vote for Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES, but a considerable number of those who have worked for him up to the present time will certainly throw in their lot with Mr HARFORD- The Conservatives have acted, we think with reason on the assumption that Mr HARFORD'S chances of success would be greater with Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES as the Liberal can- didate than with Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS. Whatever may be the result of the polling there can be no question that what is called the Old Liberal Gang, considered to be identified with Aberystwyth, has been annihilated. Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES, unaided by us and with the "leading" Liberals of the county against him, has carried the majority of the rank and file with him. He owes a good deal of his success to Mr WILLIAM DAVIES, his agent, who has been indefatigable, and has taken for granted everywhere the absence of Liberal organiza tion. He has used the tools ready to his hand without troubling himself too much about their quality, and his Conservative helpers may find at the close that they 'have not been as clever as they thought they were. The Liberal rank and file in the county have long been sick of their figureheads-their nominal leaders who did not lead. We believe that if the choice of delegates had been left to the Liberal electors of Aberystwyth instead of to the members of four societies which are made up largely of non-electors, and certainly do not include all or nearly all the Liberal electors, the result might have been different. The Women's Liberal Association is com- posed, of course, entirely of non- electors. The Junior Radical Club is mainly composed of non-electors, and we have always understood that the Cymru Fydd Association was a non-political asso- ciation. Great irritation was caused at the Aberystwyth meeting last Wednesday by good Liberals, who were not members of any of the four Associations, being asked to retire, but unless they had been asked to retire it would have been impossible to make clear the system by which the delegates at Aberystwyth were chosen. There are Liberals who can no more vote for Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES at the forth- coming election than they could vote for Mr DAVID DAVIES in 1886. These divisions are unfortunate, whether they arise, as in 1886, from differences of opinion on a great question of national policy or, as on the present occasion, from absence of organization and want of faith in the Liberal leaders. We are disposed to think that as far as Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES'S vote is concerned, if he is elected,, it will be recorded on the Liberal side. To the great bulk of the Liberals, not only in Cardiganshire but else- where, this is the only consideration. The present is not the time to discuss political ethics. The situation in Cardigan- shire has not arisen suddenly, or without warning. Whatever may w the final result cf the present state of things it is almost certain that the remaining fragments or wnac is caused the County liberal* Asso- ciation will be swept away. TKe Con- servatives are no doubt gratified with the choice of the Liberal delegates, but wo are not disposed to think that they' have much ground for grafeulation. As we have already said, the bulk of the Liberal electors are' prepared to work and vote for the candidate who has secured a majority of the*-votes.. If Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS had been- selected some of Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES'S- friends would probably not have voted ,for him. It is probable that some Radicals-: will find it impossible to accept Mr VAUGEATCVDAVIES. Whether inability to work and vote with the Liberal majority develops into hostility will depend largely on the course adopted between now and the day of-the poll. We have pursued a certain policy in refer- to this matter ever since 1886. We have seen the power Mr VAUGHAN was gaining and have not been oblivious- to the methods he bas adopted for gaining. it. The people have a right to choose,, and they have chosen. We have done all. we could,, single-handed, to reach another result, and we accept defeat without desire to minimise its completeness. Our defeat is. the lasting disgrace of the nominal Liberal leaders.

LOCAL AND GENERAL NOTES.