It would not be easy to over-estimate the good sense
of this statement, and we congratulate Sir John Randles on it. The Free Trade Unionists were perfectly right to support Sir John Bandies, in spite of his economic views. The one object of every moderate elector now should be to get rid of the Government. At the same time we do sincerely trust that the Unionist leader will ponder the very important inferences of this election—inferences which may be most plainly drawn from Sir John Randles's statement. Although Lancashire, knowing the whole range of the Government programme, condemns it in the most uncompromising way. it does not by any means follow that the hard-headed economists of the North would vote for a Tariff Reformer at a General Election. Then Tariff Reform would be the crux; now it is not. For ourselves we should always vote for a Tariff Reformer rather than risk having the present Government back in power ; but we believe that throughout the country a large number of Free Trade Unionists, and a still larger number of moderate Liberals who are more or less in revolt, would refuse to do so. Promise a reference of any tariff that may be framed to the direct vote of the people, and all scruples will disappear. Lloyd Georgeism will be scotched for many years. There is no other certain way of securing this boon for the country.
