A curious feature of the immediate political situation is the
continued efforts that are being made to induce Mr. Chamber- lain to give up the taxation of food, in spite of his declaration, "If you are to give a preference to the Colonies you must put a tax on food," and his assertion that he is prepared to go into any mechanic's house and show him that such a tax would be beneficial. With great pluck and persistency the Daily Mail every day insists that Mr. Chamberlain must give up this part of his scheme, and the public is beginning to watch the struggle between the statesman and the newspaper with the interest that anything in the shape of a single combat always causes among Englishmen. Why will not Mr. Gould give us a revised version of his famous caricature of Mr. Chamberlain and the Kruger Parrot ? Mr. Chamberlain must be on the perch this time, and the Daily Mail must be vehemently admonishing him,—" Say 'Free Food ' !" "You shall say Free Food ' ! " Naturally, we are as anxious as the Daily Mail that Mr. Chamberlain should say "Free Food," but we have very little hope that he will. He does not belong to the type of statesman to whom it is easy to dictate.
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