TOPICS OF THE DAY.
A CENTRE PARTY.
ASTATESMAN of no little weight and experience, who prefers to remain anonymous, writes in our correspondence columns a letter dealing with the forma- tion of a Centre Party to which we commend the special attention of our readers. Though " Centralist " is with those who during the last week or two have sent us com- munications in favour of the formation of a Centre Party, he very properly points out that people who advocate the formation of such a party must look the facts in the face, and realise how extremely difficult is the course they propose. Even after one has admitted to the full the need for the union of men of moderate opinions to take common action, and after one has recognised the dilemma in which men of central views seem likely to be placed at the next General Election, it by no means follows that a Centre Party capable of effective action can be formed at the present time. It is not enough for a Unionist Free- trader or for a moderate-minded Liberal Imperialist to say : " I will not vote for a Tariff Reformer ; I cannot vote for a Socialistic Liberal; and I shall not be doing my duty to the State if I abstain. Therefore it is necessary for me, and those who hold with me, to obtain representatives of our own." Unhappily, the third term is not the essential conclusion from the premisses. Rather it may be that men of central opinion will be forced to consider in each individual case which is the least of the three evils— voting for a Tariff Reformer, voting for a Socialistic Liberal, or abstaining—and that their choice will be limited to these three courses. That the men who hold the central position—who hold views which are not adopted by any existing political party, but which may be described as a selection from their political programmes— constitute a very large portion of the electorate, possibly an actual majority of that electorate, may be true, but this is of little importance unless some means can be discovered, in the first place, for detaching the Centralists from their existing political associations, and secondly, for organising them into a coherent body of opinion.
What we are considering, and what we invite our readers to consider, is nothing less than the formation of a new party. That being so, it is necessary to ask what are the essential constituents of an effective political party in this country. To begin with, a political party must have a set of distinctive political principles which can form a common ground for action. Here we think the Centralists will find no great difficulty. First, they are agreed as to the maintenance of the integrity of the United Kingdom, and therefore of the union with Ireland. Secondly, they are agreed upon a sane Imperialism under which the Empire shall be based and consolidated on the principle of freedom, and secured. by a vigilant attention to the efficiency of the Navy and Army. Thirdly, they are agreed that the principle of Free-trade must prevail, and that our commercial prosperity can only be secured by continuing the policy of the free market and of tariff for revenue only. Fourthly, and of equal import- ance, is their determination to withstand the spread of State Socialism, and the laying of financial burdens upon the country which must in the end impoverish and pauperise the working man and bring to ruin our Free- trade system. Lastly, they are agreed on the maintenance of the existing Constitution as regards a second House in the Legislature and the Established Church, and on opposition to all proposals that will impair the strength and independence of the House of Commons, as, for example, payment of Members.
Another essential for a political party is leadership by men of weight and experience, men of whom the country as a whole can feel satisfied that they are capable of conducting its affairs with wisdom and dis- cretion. Here, again, the Centralists are well supplied. In men like Lord Rosebery, the Duke of Devonshire, Lord Balfour of Burleigh, Lord George Hamilton, Lord James of Hereford, Lord Cromer, and certain moderate Liberals, whom, however, at the present moment it would e indiscreet to specify, there is ample material for the formation of a strong Centralist Government. The next essential is an organisation throughout the constituencies capable of securing adequate representation in the House of Commons. Here we reach the crux of the problem. Such an organisation does not at present exist, yet without it it is idle to talk about the formation of a Centre Party. As our correspondent " Centralist" points out, a political party which is not represented in Parliament is for all practical purposes no party at all, or, at any rate, cannot be relied upon to produce the results for which political parties come into existence.
We reach, then, the question : How is an organisation capable of securing the return of Centralist Members of Parliament to be obtained ? In our belief, it cannot be obtained unless men are compelled to take common action by some great and adequate occasion. But such an occasion will only be found in a political crisis or revolution of sufficient magnitude to make men feel that unless advantage is taken of it the interests of the country will be seriously impaired. In other words, we hold that those who, like ourselves and like " Centralist," and like so many others of our readers, have come to the conclusion that in the end the forma- tion of a Centre Party will prove the best solution of present discontents and difficulties, must wait to put their principles into operation till an adequate opportunity is afforded them. But though we therefore think that patience must for the present be our mot d'ordre, it by no means follows that the opportunity of which we have spoken will be long delayed. In our opinion, it is quite possible that it may come, and come before many months are past, owing to internal dissensions in the Liberal Party. At present the Liberal Government are not only engaged in trying to pass a batch of chaotic measures in regard to the details of which there is no small amount of doubt and perplexity anion,' their followers, but are also getting committed to financial which if carried through must lay the most serious burdens upon the taxpayers and involve the national finances in hopeless confusion. To be specific, we should be by no means surprised if, when the Government scheme for old-age pensions and for paying for those pensions is submitted to Parliament, it is found that it is either utterly impracticable, or else will involve burdens so heavy that there will be a revolt against it of a most serious kind. It is a characteristic of Englishmen to seem to give assent in the abstract to dangerous political proposals, but to draw back from them in indignation when they are presented in concrete form. But if the Liberal Party and the Liberal Cabinet break up over old-age pensions, our whole party system will be in the melting-pot, and in that case the opportunity which will make possible the formation of a Centre Party will have arisen. Remember that if this opportunity occurs, and a Centre Party thus comes into being, it would very soon gather strength. Nothing succeeds like success, and when once people realise that a Centre Party is actually in existence, commands a con- siderable number of votes in the House of Commons, possesses a still larger amount of confidence in the country, and, finally, is a party capable of taking office, adhesions will flow in from both sides.
We would, then, ask those who are in favour of a Centre Party to be patient for the time and to wait their oppor- tunity. This does not, however, mean that they need be wholly inactive. Let them prepare the ground. Let them familiarise people with the idea of a Centre Party. Let them begin the spadework of removing prejudices against the course they desire. Then when the opportunity arises they will.be able to take full advantage of it, and to offer a harbour of refuge to the men driven out of one party by the Tariff Reformers, and out of the other by a combination of Socialists, Nationalists, and men who do not realise the imperative need for national defence.
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