Our view may be quite wrong, and Lord Ridley of
course thinks it wrong. At any rate, the conflict of opinion in regard to the Fiscal question produced a deadlock in the Unionist Party. Then came Mr. Balfour's statesmanlike adoption of our suggestion that Tariff Reform before being finally adopted should be referred to a Poll of the People. Unhappily Mr. Balfour's decision did not come in time to affect as many votes as it will ultimately affect,—did not, that is, come in time to reproduce the status quo ante 1904. The influence of the Referendum pledge is, however, steadily growing. All over the country Free-traders who but for Tariff Reform would be loyal Unionists are beginning to recognise what their more alert-minded friends recognised at once,—namely, that the promise to refer Tariff Reform to the people sets them as free as they were before 1904 to join and work for Unionist organisations.
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