leave aside principles and get elected through " the Deccan Sabha of Poona, hundreds of men of Sholapur, as Poona Delegates including known minors, and people of doubtful credentials and suspicious characters." Mrs. Besant had come all the way from Madras to get the Amritsar judgment reversed ; she moved an amend- ment which would have enabled the Moderates to stand for election in the name of the Congress and through the help of the Congress ogencies. But the amend- ment was defeated by an over- whelming majority.
Within a fortnight after the close of the Sholapur Conference, Mr. Tilak published the manifesto of the " Congress Democratic Party." Though he published this document over his signature, still he had consulted most of the Nationalist leaders in Western India, and it was merely to save valuable time that he thought it desirable to publish it on his individual responsibility. Those who know that Mr. Tilak wanted to place the manifesto for approval before the Special Congress at Calcutta, will not blame him for having acted autocratically in the name of the Congress Democratic Party. The Manifesto is a comprehensive document, by no means exhaustive ; it lays down the general policy of the advanced poUtical party. The Manifesto declares : —
" This Party proposes to work the Montague Reforms Act for all it is worth, and for accelerating the grant of full Responsible Government ; and for this purpose it will, without hesitation, offer co-operation or resort to constitutional opposition, whichever may be expedient and best calculated to give effect to the popular will."
What was the object of issuing this Manifesto ? Some
