The week has again been deluged with speeches, bat again
few of them are of sufficiently abiding interest to deserve comment. We except that of Mr. Wyndham noted below, which deals with facts and policy, and does not consist merely of the babble of the political auction-room. It may be noted, however, that Mr. Chamberlain and Sir William Harcourt have had a squabble as to whether Labour Members do or do not make effective Members of the House of Commons, and that Mr. Stanhope has declared that Mr. Chamberlain was blackmailed into whitewashing Mr. Rhodes in the House of Commons. Mr. Chamberlain has in turn declared this statement to be" a characteristic untruth." Mr. Stanhope retorts by daring Mr. Chamberlain to bring an action against him for slander or libel. As we have said elsewhere, we most sincerely hope that Mr. Chamberlain will not accept this fantastic challenge. Imagine if after every General Election all the heated things said were made the foundations for libel actions. The Courts would do nothing else but consider these Election scrim- mages. If Mr. Stanhope has got proofs of the dire and dreadful things he insinuates, let him publish them honestly and openly and not deal in innuendoes. If his proofs and witnesses are worth anything, they will be just as effective when published in the newspapers as produced in a Court of Law. But has Mr. Stanhope got anything to publish except some cock-and-bull story based on hearsay ? We doubt it, and shall be exceedingly surprised if his wonderful Member sitting on the pounce for Mr. Chamberlain ever materialises. But if our surmise is right, what are we to think of the con- duct of Mr. Stanhope in bringing charges which he cannot support ?
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