Lord Rosebery on Wednesday addressed in the Surrey Theatre a
very large and enthusiastic meeting of London Liberals. He made an admirable speech, ridiculing Mr. Chamberlain's pessimistic attitude in regard to our com- merce as that of a man "who rattled tinplates in the wind to produce the stage thunder that is necessary," and quoting the savings of the working man, now 2367,000,000, as a fact which even "this modern Jeremiah" cannot get over. Lord Rosebery proceeded to denounce the in- creased national and municipal expenditure, which together he declared amounted to £300,000,000 sterling; and then reverted to the fiscal question, pointing out the "almost desperate" position to which Protection will reduce the men with fixed incomes, who will find everything dearer and their wages not raised. He next turned to retaliation, and asked whether if we taxed imports from the United States, as we must do if we tax food, we expected the Americans to "take it lying down." There would be a tariff war which would divide the two nations. It was not a consolation to him to hear Mr. Chamberlain say, "I am not afraid," for men do not doubt his pugnacity, but only his judgment. Mr. Cham- berlain wished to tax food in the interest of the Empire, but Lord Rosebery held that the Empire was based upon free food. To promote Imperialism, "raise your race" by higher education. Taxation will never raise it.
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