20 NOVEMBER 1909, Page 32

THE ADVANCE OF SOCIALISM.

[TO TEX EDITOR OF 111:1 " SPICTATOR."] SIR,—" A. Moderate Liberal" in your issue of the 13th inst. demurs to my criticism of his attitude in the matter of the Budget, but proceeds to justify me by saying that he supports the Budget because he does not regard it as so great an evil as the accession to power of Mr. Balfour. That is exactly my case. He and others know the Budget to be bad, as enacting certain injustices. But they will accept and give power to those injustices because they fear that if they do not a greater evil will befall the country. They, in other words, leave God altogether out of the question. They will countenance what they know to be evil rather than believe that if they are faithful the good will prevail. That is the spirit, not oi modernity only, but of all time, which is most dangerous to high principle. What I advance (and I firmly believe a study of experience and history will justify me) is that what is on a calm consideration found to be unjust and inequitable should be fearlessly opposed, as Tennyson says, "in scorn of conse- quence. "A Moderate Liberal" says he does not suppose I at all understand the intensity of Nonconformist objection to the Education Act of 1902. I am in no way concerned to defend that Act, and wish to see it amended, so as to satisfy as many people as possible. But what on earth has it got to do with the question we are debating, which is whether one should assist what one knows to be evil for fear that something worse should happen hereafter P Does "A Moderate Liberal" assert that only championship of this Budget can defeat Tariff Reform and the other evils a Tory Ministry would (or rather might) inflict on us? If so, I am strongly at issue with him on the facts of the case, and believe I could, if space were

available, establish my views.—I am, Sir, &c., SEBES..