LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE UNIONIST FREE-TRADERS AND A NEW POLITICAL PARTY.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—The letters in the last two numbers of the Spectator from " Constitutionalist " and Mr. J. A. Grundy, and your excellent article and comments thereon, are full of interest for Unionist Free-traders.
I do not doubt that you are right to discountenance at the present time any attempt to build up a new political party
with Unionist Free-traders as its nucleus; though it is possible enough that before very long party divisions will come to be drawn on new lines, as to which Unionist Free- traders may have a good deal to say. But such matters can hardly be arranged in advance. The creation of a new party, or the complete redressing of the lines dividing the old parties, can only come about as the result of a state of things which, so far as I can see, does not at present exist.
It is, to my mind, equally premature for Unionist Free- traders to decide now as to the line they should adopt at the next General Election; but I see no reason to suppose that they will have any greater difficulty in upholding their prin- ciples at the next General Election than they had at the last. We are asaociated together to guard the country against what we regard as the two great dangers,—Home-rule and Protec- tion. Mr. Grundy thinks that of these two evils Home-rule is the lesser; and accordingly, in case of a clear issue between a Liberal Party pledged to Home-rule and a Conservative Party pledged to Protection, lie will support the former. Such a contest might, no doubt, arise in some constituencies ; but surely a struggle of this nature between the two great parties, led by responsible statesmen, is virtually impossible ! It involves the supposition that both parties should go mad at the same time, whereas a long experience has shown us that when one party goes mad, a sane and sober country sends it about its business and instals in power others who are for the time on their good behaviour, from whom it has reason to expect better things. Thus, at the last General Election, when the Conservatives, with Protection on the brain, went to the country, their opponents were far too wise to indulge in another fit of the Home-rule delirium, which had already cost them nearly twenty years' exclusion from power. Liberal leaders and Liberal candidates in Great Britain rarely men- tioned Home-rule, though their opponents made what use of it they could to frighten electors to take the Unionist side. Yet Home-rule bad been for many years the touchstone of party Liberalism, and Liberals who were Unionists were driven from the party ranks.
In the present state of things, Mr. Balfour and Mr. Chamberlain having declared that a fiscal revolution is necessary, and that Fiscal Reform is to be the first constructive work of their party when it recovers power, it becomes impossible for Free-traders to give them their assistance. Party caucuses and clubs have hoisted the Protectionist flag. Unionist Free-traders note all these things, and, if necessary, will fight leaders and caucuses and clubs for their Free-trade principles; but they note also that already Conservative statesmen are slackening in zeal for their great cause, pre- ferring whenever they can to leave it unmentioned. It is to my mind certain that if once again British statesmen endeavour to establish in Ireland a separate Parliament and Government, we shall, till that issue is decided, hear little from Conservative statesmen of their desire to reconstitute our fiscal system on a basis of bread-and-butter taxes and the exclusion of foreign manufactures.
Unionist Free-traders have great reason to be satisfied with the strong position which they hold. It is a very real safe- guard for the maintenance of the Union and of Free-trade. At the present time neither of these subjects occupies men's thoughts. So much the better ! It is not our business to recall their attention to Protection or Home-rule. On the political interests of the moment no doubt Unionist Free- traders hold different opinions ; but that is no reason why when danger to either of their great principles is imminent they should not consolidate into a really formidable army. The Unionist Free-Trade Club with its six hundred Unionist members is an excellent nucleus upon which in case of imminent danger men in either party can rally, from which- ever Bile the danger comes.
The action taken by the Liberal Unionists in 1886 was rendered possible and necessary by the extreme urgency of the case. The Conservatives could not have resisted Home- rule, or have obtained power, without the Liberal Unionists ; and accordingly an alliance involving a certain amount of give-and-take was arranged between the two parties. Party urgency and national danger may possibly again give rise to a similar state of things; but that certainly is not the con- dition of affairs now.
On the -whole, the best thing we can do is to preserve our very strong position of independence, and await events.—I am,
[We are confident that Mr. Arthur Elliot's letter will receive the assent of the great bulk of Unionist Free-traders. We have given elsewhere our reasons for believing that the moment is one when it is specially necessary for Unionist Free-traders to be active and vigilant, and to maintain their independence.—En. Spectator.]
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