THE POSITION OF THE UNIONIST FREE-TRADER.
LTO THIC EDITOR OF THE "SPEOTATOR."]
SIR,—It is impossible to overestimate the difficult position in which the Unionist Free-trader is placed at the present time from the political point of view; and yet in one sense it may be made a strong one if he refuses to ally himself with either of the two great political parties, and takes up an independent attitude. And this, in my humble opinion, should be the attitude of the Unionist Free-Trade Club, which should be, as it is intended to be, his rallying-point. It may be that at the next General Election, which many people think to be near at hand, the Unionist Party will again obtain the reins of government; but then the difficulties of this party will begin. It is easy to talk about Fiscal Reform in the abstract, but it is almost impossible to believe that the Preferentialist, the "Revolverite," the taxer for revenue purposes only, and the pure Protectionist can ever unite to convert the "general" into the "particular?' And the Home-Rule Party will be in equal, if not greater, difficulties, for it is no more homogeneous than its opponents, if indeed it is not more divided. Thus a united and independent party which supports an intelligible policy of Free-trade and anti-Socialism under the strong and capable leaders which it possesses, even although it be small in numbers, may come by its own. In the meantime, it seems to me that the policy of the Club should be to lose no opportunity of keeping the principles and practice of Free-trade to the front. Not only should its members be encouraged to join with Liberal Free-traders at political meetings where Free-trade only is the subject for discussion, but the Club should organise meetings all over the country on its own account in support of Free-trade. It will always secure appreciative and attentive audiences, especially when it has made it clear that it is working on non-party lines. I say non-party lines, because what I think the Club should aim at is to keep Free-trade out of the category of party questions altogether. Probably, as I have hinted, the result will be the formation of a strong united Centre Party which will eventually attract to itself all the best elements of the present Unionist and Home-Rule Parties to preserve Free-trade and to resist the advance of Socialiem ; for Home-rule can be sunk for a time in the presence of the far greater dangers attaching to Protection and Socialism, which are so closely allied to each other.—I am,
[The formation of a Centre Party certainly seems a good deal less remote and impossible than it did. We wish we could share Sir William Chance's optimism as to the impossibility of constructing a tariff. That was, no doubt, one of the strongest points in the defences of Free-trade as long as there was no need to find new sources of taxation. If, however, the Liberal Party, by old-age pensions and other Socialistic schemes, add £18,000,000 or so to our expenditure, the cliffictay of converting the general into the particular will soon vanish. There is no greater help to tariff-making
than an imperative need for more cash for the Treasury,—a need which the country will not allow to be met save by indirect taxation. The Treasury's need is the Tariff Reformer's opportunity,—and he is getting that opportunity made for him by the so-called supporters of Free-trade ED. Spectator.]
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