112 PROBLEMS OF VILLAGE LIFE 



wife ever read, is in most cases strongly Con- 

 servative. What would have been the mental 

 history of, say, the members of the Reform 

 Club, if during the whole of their lives their 

 sole political pabulum had been derived from 

 the Daily Telegraph or the Observer ? 



On the other hand, there has been a tendency 

 to overlook the agricultural districts when 

 Liberalism secures a Parliamentary majority. 

 What single measure, except the Old-Age 

 Pensions Act, can be pointed to as having 

 within recent memory stirred the enthusiasm 

 of our English villagers, or impressed them 

 with any deep-rooted belief that politicians 

 were working for their welfare, and prepared 

 to defend the cause of the most helpless and 

 most neglected toilers in the realm ? Home 

 Rule, Welsh Disestablishment, Redistribution, 

 Parish and District Councils, Education Bills 

 and the like have left men and women cold, 

 who were struggling to keep the household 

 together on 13/- a week. Temperance Reform 

 has too often presented itself in the light of 

 a " Local Veto," which would permit 200 

 persons in a country parish to absolutely cut 

 off the remaining 100 from their one and only 

 centre of social intercourse and good-fellow- 

 ship, the village inn. The country electors 

 have never made excessive demands. They 



