The Conference held by the National Union of Conser- vative
Associations at Southampton will have finished its deliberations before these pages are in our readers' hands. It is, therefore, of little use to speculate as to its possible results. We should like, however, to draw attention to the very remarkable article dealing with the Conference in Thursday's Standard. The Standard strongly urges Mr. Balfour to speak out, and to clear up the ambiguity of the situation. It describes also the way in which Mr. Chamber- lain's organisation, the Tariff Reform League, is gradually honeycombing the Unionist party. " It may be seen in working order in most districts, whether it be the suburbs of manufacturing towns or the village centres in the rural tracts. People are got together to hear how evil their plight is, and what a splendid panacea for all ills Mr. Chamberlain has devised. A branch is formed, and by-and-by it is found that the method of bit-by-bit absorption has brought the Party Association as a whole into a sort of unwritten federa- tion with the Protectionist Caucus. To that body it looks for suggestion; from it, it receives orders and accepts nominees. This is the crux which Mr. Balfour, as responsible Chief of the Unionist Party, has to face." " As long," con- tinues the Standard, "as the Prime Minister allows it to be believed that definite assent to the Birmingham proposals is compatible with loyalty to his authority, so long will recruits be led by a sort of unintelligent drift to the Protectionist banner." This is nothing but the truth. Yet hitherto those who, like ourselves, have proclaimed it have been declared to be disloyal to the Unionist party for daring to make such a suggestion.
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