10 JANUARY 1914, Page 2

Liberal newspapers have devoted much space during the week to

describing what they call the "iron boycott" of the Unionist farmers, who are said to be in full revolt against the Edinburgh compact on Tariff Reform. Incidentally, we learn that the party capable of this "iron" boycott is also "riven." Our only reason for mentioning these curious phenomena is that the name of the Spectator occurs con- tinually as having " suppreseed " a letter which stated the case of the farmers who demand Food Taxes. " Sup- preseicm," so far as we can gather, is the Liberal word for describing the fact that a letter advocating Food Taxes was not chosen by us for insertion. Yet we imagine that editors of Liberal newspapers actually do put in the

waste-paper basket letters which they do not consider to be of special interest or urgency. After reading the Liberal news- papers with every desire to be enlightened, we are still mystified as to why an avowedly Free Trade paper like the Spectator should be held guilty of " suppression " for not selecting for publication letters recommending Food Taxes in spite of the arrangement sanctioned by the Unionist leaders.