The Duke ended his speech by a passage which was,
in effect, a declaration of war against the Fiscal Reform Unionists. "I remain a Unionist, and I claim the right to remaiv a Unionist, irrespective of any opinions which I may hold on questions which are not connected with the Union. The Unionist Party to which I owe any allegiance is a Free- trade Unionist Party, if such a party may, by any possibility, be reconstituted in the future. As regards the constructive policy which by this correspondence has now been adopted in the name of the Unionist Party by the leaders of the Unionist Party, I decline altogether to admit any allegiance to the leaders or any responsibility for the action of the leaders in regard to this policy, and I absolutely decline to accept, as regards the future constructive policy of the party, any leader- ship of those who have accepted the principles which I find embodied in the letters to which I have referred." These are
• words which fill us with hope for the future, and with the belief that the Unionist Party may yet be reconstructed on Free-trade lines. Doubtless such reconstruction will require time and patience, but these are needed by all who desire to accomplish great things. Meantime, the Duke has made it
• absolutely clear that the unity of the Unionist Party can never
be obtained unless that party abandons Protection under any of its aliases, and reverts to the status quo ante 1903.
Previous page
