In order to understand the prevalent political attitudes in late-nineteenth century Lancashire it is necessary to examine the forces which shaped them. In a political sense the ‘Manchester Liberalism’ of the mid-century bourgeoisie was succeeded by the ‘Tory Lancashire’ of the mass electorate. It is tempting to explain the one as a reaction to the other. But Tory Democracy cannot be understood in class terms. Where the workingmen voters were to a large extent Conservative it was because of a social consciousness in which economic considerations did not play a dominant part. Hence the importance of religion in general, and the peculiar nature of Lancashire Anglicanism in particular. In contrast to this, the political influence of the cotton industry was relatively slight. The cotton workers were a representative section of the Lancashire working class and shared its social and religious divisions; they were, therefore, politically impotent. Insofar as the economic position of the cotton trade intruded into politics in the late nineteenth century it did not necessarily divide masters and men. Nor initially did Tariff Reform. But while the Liberals could continue to count on the cotton industry's preference for Free Trade to rally the operatives, it was later far from sure of the employers. There had always been a strong Conservative element among the cotton bosses; and by 1910 many of them were prepared to swallow Tariff Reform, or at least accept the Conservative party, Tariff Reform and all. The divisiveness of these economic considerations marked a break with the political culture of the later nineteenth century, when the Conservatives had been able to work with the grain of social and religious influences.