The Welsh Coast Pioneer and Review for North Cambria

Mr Ellis Griffith's Triumph in Anglesey. Increased Majority. ANGLESEY was the first Welsh county to poll in the present election, and the result was de- clared by Mr J. Pritchard Jones, High Sheriff, at Llangefni, on Saturday:— Griffith (L) 5,356 Priestley (C) 2,638 I Majority 2,718 The declaration was made from the balcony of the Town Hall in the presence of a very large number of people, and was received with loud cheering. The general public did not realise for some moments that Mr Griffith had really a majority of 2,718, and that he had re- ceived twice as many votes as the Conservative candidate, but when this was fully borne in upon them there was a scene of great enthu- siasm. Mr Ellis Griffith, M.P., proposed a vote of thanks to the High Sheriff, and this was seconded by Mr Priestley. Mr Griffith then left the Town Hall, and was met by a great number of friends, who escort- ed him to the Liberal committee rooms. Here he spoke to his supporters. He owed a tribute of gratitude, he said, to Mr Priestley for the gentlemanly and honourable way in which he had conducted the contest; (Applause.) When he (Mr Griffith) entered the contest he asked them to add. a thousand to his majority of 1,027. How excellent their response had been was, shown by the figures. He wished to thank all who had been so faithful to him in the contest for their work and for their votes. Anglesey had been faithful to her principles and to her history, and her sons had given him a much larger majority than had ever before been given to any candidate for the county. He hoped that as the years went on, his work would prove that they had worked and voted rightly. (Cheers.) Addresses were also delivered by Messrs W. Hughes Jones, vice-chairman of the Liberal Association; A. M'Killop, S. Hughes, Hugh Pritchard, Liberal election agent, and the Rev E. W. Roberts. Mr Griffith afterwards left for Brynsiencyn, his native place, being accompanied by Mrs Griffith and some friends. As the motor cars sped along the roads their occupants were greeted by all who passed by for the news of the signal victory had quickly spread through the district. Passing through Gaerwen and Llanfair, which villages were ablaze with yel- low bunting and ribbons, and skirting the park of the Marqu'is of Anglesey, the victorious can- didate was soon in sight of the scene of his boyhood days. All the inhabitants turned out to greet him. Women who could scarcely hobble along, men with backs bent with toil, men and women, in their prime, lads and lassies vied with each other as to who should cheer the most. Mr Griffith was visibly touched by the sincerity of the greetings from his old friends, and "he shook hands with all lie could reach. Addressing a few simple words to them, he said that his first thought after he had ga'ined this victory was of the people of the Bryn, and thither he had come first. In whatever place he might be, he always thought of his native village, and his heart was with them still. At the outset of the contest his opponents had said that he was Ellis Griffith. a barrister from London, but those before him knew that it was not so. After a short pause Mr Griffith said that he was going back to do his best for Anglesey, for W ales, and for the rest of the country. He hoped that God would bless them. Later Mr Griffiths had an enthusiastic recep- tion in Amlwch. In the evening Mr and Mrs Griffith went to Holyhead, where they were met by some thousands of people. Seated in an open carriage, they were drawn by a num- ber of men through the streets. The proces- sion was headed by the Holyhead band. At the Old Market-square Mr Griffith addressed the multitude, and after thanking Holyhead for the splendid part it had played in the con- test, he promised to do his best to urge the claims of the port for recognition in various ways.

Flint Boroughs. Great Liberal Victory. Gratifying Majority for Mr Idris. THE polling in the Flint Boroughs was carried on with unusual vigour, and out of an elec- torate of 3,659 3,430 votes were recorded, or 93.75 per cent. The candidates made a tour of the several boroughs during the day in motor cars, and on each side the utmost enthusiasm prevailed. Both sides seemed confident cf vic- tory. The result of the poll,, which xas awaited by an immense crowd, was decle ."ed about 10.30 bv the Mayor (Alderman J. L. Mxispratt): Idris (L) 1,899 Bankes (C) 1,523 Liberal majority 376 For several minutes the cheering and hott- ing were deafening. It was impossible fur either of the candidates to make himself heal 1. After a while Mr Idris heartily thanked his supporters ft i- the glorious manner in which they, had upheld Liberal principles in the boroughs. He was quite satisfied with the manner in which the contest had been fought, and he thanked his opponent for the courteous manner in which he had conducted his campaign. He trusted that, having become the member for the ancient boroughs of Flint, opponents as well as friends would try to regard him a6 their representative. They might rest assured that he would do all in his power to further the interests of the constituency as a whole. (Cheers.) Mr Bankes briefly returned thanks to his supporters for the way in which they had worked for him. The Conservative party seemed to be very badly disappointed. Some of them showed their resentment by smashing some of the windows of the Liberal committee rooms. A large crowd of Liberals remained in the streets for nearly two hours awaiting the re- sult of the Carnarvonshire Boroughs, and when the numbers were announced they broke into a shout of triumph. Liberal Member at Holywell. At Holywell there was a good deal of excite- ment throughout the day, and both sides were very active. The result of the election was re- ceived by telephone shortly after half-past ten o'clock. It was announced from the steps of the Town Hall by Mr Samuel Jones, the chair- man of Mr Idris's election committee, amid great enthusiasm. About an hour afterwards Mr Idris arrived in his motor car from Flint. From the win- dows of the Liberal committee room he ad- dressed an audience of several hundreds. He congratulated them heartily upon the splendid victory which they had achieved for Liberal- ism. (Cheers.) They had now an undivided Liberal representation for the whole of Wales, for the call to arms in defence of Free Trade came, and the people realised that the time had also come when the squabble about the schools might be put down with a strong hand.

Great Liberal Triumph in the Denbigh Boroughs. Fall of Another Tory Stronghold. Mr. Clement Edwards's Brilliant Achievement. FOlt twenty years the idea of a united Welsh Liberal party has been made impossible by the devotion of one or two divisions to the Conser- vative party. Since the memorable fight of 1880, when Sir Robt. Cunliffe defeated the Hon. George Kenyon by 15 votes, no iberal mem- ber has been returned for the Denbigh Boroughs, and since 1885, when the Liberal member lost his seat, the Liberals for many years regarded the effort to regain it as hope- less, but Mr Clement Edwards's work in the boroughs has borne abundant fruit, and on Friday he was returned by the handsomest majority ever known in the constituency. Whilst the Liberals of the boroughs received the news of what they may truly regard as a famous victory with profound satisfaction, in their hour of triumph a feeling of personal re- gret was universally felt at the circumstances which ^made necessary the severance of the re- lationship that has existed between the elec- torate and Mr George Kenyon for so many years. But the issues at stake were of such vital importance that even so popular a can- didate must be rejected unless proposals fraught with danger to the State were to be endorsed. The weather on Friday was favourable, and the polling was exceptionally heavy. Out of 4,755 electors, 4,493 recorded their votes. Both candidates were well provided with vehicles. The Liberals are indebted to the following for the use of motor-cars:—Mr J. W. Summers. Mr Howell Williams (London), Mr Howell Idris, Mr W. H. Lever, and Mr Illingworth. The candidates made a tour of the constitu- ency in motor-cars, Mr Clement Edwards being accompanied by Mrs Edwards and Mr Seymour Jones. During the day Lady Osborne Morgan telegraphed to Mr Edwards wishing him suc- cess, and a similar message was received from the Young Wales Society (London). Mr Bal- four telegraphed to Mr Kenyofi in the follow- ing terms:—"My warmest wishes for your suc- cess. I earnestly hope that the electors of the Denbigh Boroughs will remain loyal to their principles, and will again return as their re- presentative a supporter of the great cause of Unionism and Fiscal Reform. The revoiu- tionary changes foreshadowed by members of the present Government make it imperative that the House of Commons should contain as many Unionists as possible determined to re- sist them." The Close of the Poll The poll closed at eight sharp, and the Wrex- ham and Holt boxes were taken to the Great Central Railway Station for conveyance to Denbigh, where the votes were counted. The first box arrived at the station at 8-11 p.m. It contained the South Ward votes, and was in charge of Mr T. Powell, of Marchwiel. By 8-40 p.m. all the boxes had arrived, and were well on the way to the county town. The can- didates went to Denbigh by motor-car, and as they passed through the streets they were en- thusiastically received. Awaiting the News. For four hours great crowds of Wrexham electors and their families paraded the streets awaiting the news from Denbigh. Except at th,} Conservative Club, the prevailing colours were those adopted by the Liberal candidate. Rival factions met often, but feeling did not run high. A good deal of fun was caused by one enthusiast who carried a "green and red" umbrella. He was chaired by a host of friends

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and carried shoulder high through the streets of the town. Election jingles were heartily sung, and at the Liberal and Labour Institute the workers whiled away the time with speeches and songs A Falsetfteport. The Wrexham Conservatives were sadly hoaxed shortly before midnight. A message is supposed to have arrived at their head- quarters to the effect that Mr Kenyon had been returned. The news was given out, and much enthusiasm prevailed. It spread to distant parts of the town, and in a few moments hun- dreds of people were led to believe that the Denbigh Boroughs had again returned a Con- servative. But all the rejoicing was prema- ture, and when the true intelligence arrived the feelings of the Conservatives can be better imagined than described. The Result. The result of the poll was declared at the County Hall, Denbigh, a few tUlnutes after 11-30 Thp fi<rnvp« U-Aro no f/illon-c Clement Edwards (L. and Lab.) 2533 Hon. G. T. Kenyon (C) 1960 Liberal majority 573 At the last contest- the figures were:—The Hon. G. T. Kenyon (C), 1,862; Mr C. Edwards (L. and Lab.), 1,752; Conservative majority, 110. Reception of the News at Wrexham. With the memory of the inspiring motto, "Ring out the old, ring in the new" fresh in every mind, it seemed peculiarly appropriate that the news of Mr Clement Edwards's mag- nificent triumph over the forces of reaction should reach the largest town in the constitu- ency just as the "iron tongue of midnight" tolled twelve. The news was received at the office of the "Border Counties Advertizer" at four minutes to twelve. With all possible speed a special edition of the "Advertizer" was issued to the waiting crowds, and just as the new day broke all Wrexham knew that Ed- wards was in, and a cheer went up that was heard as far away as Gresford Vale. Remark- able scenes were witnessed in the crowded streets,recalling those which made "Mafeking" night memorable. The townspeople went mad with delight; sober citizens turned somer- saults in the streets; hats were thrown into the air; and the familiar "green and red" be- came so universal that it was difficult to find a bunch of blue ribbon except on the breasts of the ladies who occupied the Conservative Club balcony. After cheering outside the Re- form Club and the Liberal Institute until they were hoarse, the crowd rushed madly through the main streets to the Imperial Hotel, where an enthusiastic demonstration took place. Mr Handel Booth, of Manchester, who has worked so well for the Liberal cause, addressed the crowd, and cheers were raised for the success- ful candidate. It was announced that Mr Clement Edwards would arrive at Wrexham on the following day to speak to the electors, and between one and two o'clock, and after a series of processions through the principal streets—with good-humoured demonstrations outside the Conservative Club-the elated townsfolk retired to rest. Demonstration at Wrexham. After visiting Denbigh, Ruthin, and Holt, Mr Clement Edwards, M.P., reached Wrexham on Saturday afternoon, and a great demonstra- tion was held in the Beast Market. In spite of the exceedingly cold weather, a very large crowd of Liberals assembled to welcome their new member. Councillor Sauvage, who presided, said Mr Clement Edwards would soon arrive from Holt, and after the speaking a procession would be formed. Mr Edwards had to leave shortly before five for Radnorshire, whither he was going to help to retain Radnorshire for the party. They wanted to make a clean sweep in Wales, and they were going to do it. (Cheers.) A few minutes later Mr and Mrs Clement Edwards drove into the town, and had a great ovation. Miss Birkett Evans, daughter of the Mayor and Mayoress of Wrexham, presented Mrs Ed- wards with a handsome bouquet. Speeches were then made. Mr J. E. Powell spoke first. He said their position now was, that North Wales was clear. (Hear, hear.) They knew that Wales since 1868 had stood, true by the Liberal party. (Cheers.) No part of the country had done what Wales had done. (Cheers.) During the stormy days when England went wrong, -when, Scotland went wrong—Wales stood true. (Cheers.) There were indeed a few black spots in Wales, and the Denbigh Boroughs was one. But to-day he was glad to say that the Den- bigh Boroughs had fallen into line with the rest of Wales. (Cheers.) Continuing. Mr Powell referred to the fact that the Prime Minister had realised that Wales and Welsh- men must be recognised in a substantial man. ner by the Government. There were many things in arrear. We had had practically 20 years of Tory legislation. Twenty years ago Mr Chamberlain practically split up the Lib- eral party, and for twenty years they had been in the wilderness. The promised land was be- fore them. (Cheers.) All must be patient and trust to the judgment of those who were man- aging, that in due time matters that they took an especial interest in would receive the con- sideration of the House of Commons. (Cheers.) Speech by the Member. Mr Clement Edwards, M.P., who again had a great ovation, said:—Friends: In this mo- ment of victory let us remember that our fight has not been a personal fight, but that it ha& been a fight between two sets of principles. I know that it must be to many of our oppon- ents who have disagreed with the conduct of the late Government, a great personal wrench and a great personal disappointment, that they should lose an old figure from politics in the Denbigh Boroughs—I mean Mr Kenyon—(hear, hearJ-and I am going to ask this great body of Liberal and Labour electors to join with me in giving three hearty cheers for our gallant opponent. (Loud cheers.) Now, friends, I v thank you from the bottom of my heart 'for this great victory. It has not been a personal victory; it has been a great triumph for the conscience of the constituecny. (Cheers.) It has been a splendid victory for Wales. (Cheers.) It has been a splendid victory for Liberalism. (Cheers.) It has been a splendid victory for Free Trade and no taexs on food. (Loud cheers.) It has been a splendid victory in the cause of the workers. But while the victory is great, the responsibilities are great, and now that we are through the fight. let me say this: that I shall, I hope. do something to forward those principles which I have advo- cated so frequently in the constituency. I say this frankly to the Liberals; I say this frankly to the Labour men; and I say frankly to my opponents that if at the end of the first Par- liament; if, When the next election comes, I (Continued on Next Page.)

LLOYD GEORGE'S VICTORY. (Continued from Page 4.) Opposite Dr M. J. Morgan's residence, the chauffeur was told to pull up. The car came to a sudden stop. Out stepped the passenger, and, with a word of thanks to the driver, he entered Castellmai. His obliging friend was heard to murmur, "Well, I'm when he suddenly refl'ised that Castellmai was his enemy's camp. An Old Man's Blessing. An incident of a different nature took place at Conway earlier in the day. Mr Lloyd George, who had been Dr Mor- gan's guest during the previous evening, put in an appearance at the Guildhall just before leaving for a final run round his constituency. When he arrived at the top of the steps lead- ing to the hall he encountered one of Con- way's oldest inhabitants—a pathetic figure still bearing the stamp of distinction., A veteran Radical fighter, he could boast of a good many victories in municipal contests be- fore those long white locks were tinted by Time, but for years infirmity had kept him prisoner on his own hearth. However, his anxiety for the return of the President of the Board of Trade-who, by the way, lie had never seen—was such that, in spite of all protests by friende, he persisted in making his way to the hustings to do what he could to ensure-Lloyd George's success. And there he stood as the Welsh champion entered the building. His attention being attracted by the venerable figure, Mr George inquired who he was, and a formal introduction followed. The old gentleman heartily grasped the right hon. member's hand, and, after a minute sur- vey of the Cabinet Minister, he ejaculated in delighted, surprised tones, "So you are the little man?" "Lloyd George" assented with a gracious bow. "Well," continued the veteran, tenderly placing his left hand on the little hero's shoulder, "I am indeed very pleased to meet you for the first time in my life. May God keep you in the right track." As the last sen tence was uttered, the speaker's eyes were tear- dimmed, and the voice was tremulous with feeling. Mr Lloyd George, for once in a way, failed to find words to express himself. A Liberal's Offer. Not long afterwards a well-known local farmer, who holds no vote in the borough, stood chatting to the checkers in the record- ing-box outside the Guildhall. He was in a merry mood, and, as he was trying to cajole one of the checkers into a bet on the day's re- sult, a gentleman tapped him on the back. "Hello," hailed the latter. "What about that cob now? Am I going to have it? What's your lowest figure to-day," "Where are you going to, sir?" queried the farmer by way of a reply. "I'm going to the polling-booth," was the answer. "But what about the cob?" "Well, look here, sir," said the owner, "I'll give you the blessed cob if you vote for Lloyd George." And he looked for all the world as though he meant it. The would-be purchaser hurriedly left wearing a sickly smile. Arrival of the News. The boxes were conveyed to Carnarvon in a special train, and, thence till 12-30 p.m., when the result was received, the streets rang with the songs and merry chatter of hundreds wear- ing yellow and blue favours. At the moment when the information that "George is in" was vouchsafed there was a thickly-packed gathering in Lancaster-square, and the shout which hailed the news fell upon the ear like a long-sustained thunderclap. People clamoured for the figures as though the existence of humanity was at stake, and after a terrific struggle Mr Menai Francis— who had worked like a Trojan for the victor —forged his way to the fountain, and, standing on the edge of the cistern, he proclaimed the result as a majority of 996 for Mr Lloyd George. This was, of course, far below the actual figure, but the crowd were so astounded with the information that for a moment there was an eloquent pause. Then, in a deafening 'shriek of joy, they vented their sentiments. People literally jumped in sheer gratification. In fact, men who are generally regarded as "level-headed" and the rest of it. performed antics in this one minute's enthusiasm that flkuld rank as the frolics of the denizens of Colney Hatch under other circumstances. A procession was at once formed, and down High-street, through Castle-street, and on to Roeehill-street the jubilant army sang, shouted and cheered its way uninfpeded. Turning through the short cut up to Lancaster-square again, by way the rear of the Erskine Arms Hotel, they came up to the Conservative Club. Here the vanguard were met with a douche of cold water, discharged by some irresponsibles on the Club premises. This naturally fomented mischief, and before many seconds had elapsed the Club windows and the entrance gates, bore evidence of the crowd's resentment. Window panes were broken, and the gates were lifted off their hinges, and but for the help of the police, under Supt. Rees, and a few of the Liberal leaders, who hurried to the scene, there is no knowing what might have hap- pened. However, the processionists were even- tually prevailed upon to resume their march, and soon afterwards the party broke up. For- tunately, no serious cases of physical injury were reported. On Sunday morning it was found that several windows of the Liberal Club had been damaged-it is thought by way of revenge upon the crowd's action on the previous night. South Carnarvon Loyalty. At Pwllheli, Criccietli, and Nevin the news was received with great rejoicing. Much ex- citement prevailed -in Portmadoc on Saturday afternoon, when news came that a vessel just over the bar had three Lloyd-George voters resident in Carnarvon on board. A Liberal deputation who boarded the vessel got the cap- tain to give special leave to these sailors, who reached the railway station in the nick of time. The Pwllheli voters included two quarry- men from Merionethshire, who drove some twenty miles through a. drizzling rain. One voter came from Middlesbrough, others from Staffordshire, and one, on the Criccietli list from London.