19 MARCH 1904, Page 3

Free-trade, and that" we should do all that is possible

to con. oentrate the Free Trade forces."

All that we desire to add to this—and with our addition we have no reason to think that the Daily Chronicle or any Free-trade Liberal would quarrel—is that there must be no attempt to make Free-trade Unionists abandon, or in the slightest degree minimise, their Unionism. It is enough if they are willing to turn out of office, and keep out of office, any party which desires to revolutionise our fiscal system, and to rein- troduce Protection under its own name or one of its many aliases. In this sound and effective policy of combined action between the two Free-trade parties we are glad to see from a letter by Lady Frances Balfour published in another column that the Free-trade women are leading the way. The Free-trade Liberal women have agreed with the Free-trade Conservative and Liberal Unionist women to work in a joint organisation, which admits members of both parties and con- centrates itself solely on the business of supporting Free- trade. No Unionist woman by engaging in that work surrenders any Unionist principle. She remains absolutely free to work once again with the Unionist party when Protec- tion is removed from the political scene. The Free-trade Liberal women are to be congratulated most heartily on their good sense in showing no sort of fear or jealousy of those who insist on remaining in their own party, though willing to work loyally for the supreme object of Free-trade.