Professor . Boyd Dawkins contributes to Tuesday's Times a quaintly worded
appeal to the Liberal Unionist party at large for united action at the present juncture. After describing the specially disintegrating effect of the Fiscal question on Liberal Unionists, he proceeds:—" One thing is clear, that if the extremists in our party, represented by the Whole Hoggers ' on the one hand and the Free Fooders ' on the other, will not sink their differences and follow Mr. Cham- berlain's advice in his speech at St. Helens to follow Mr. Balfour, they will not only lose the next election, but delay the fiscal settlement indefinitely. The political vall-head- to borrow a metaphor from the railway—has not got beyond Balfour junction, and there are no definite lines of policy laid down beyond that point. When they get there they will be in a position to give effect to their own views." We confess that we do not find Professor Boyd Dawkins's ingenuous advice to the fiscal traveller particularly illuminating. According to his own metaphor, "Balfour junction" leads nowhither at present; but unless we are much mistaken, passengers on arriving there will find their only means of progress is a single line on the Chamberlain extension.
Previous page
