UNIONIST FREE TRADERS AND PROTECTION.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Sia,—May a Free Trader who is not a Unionist venture without offence to suggest a method by which Unionist Free Tiraders could help to combat the danger of Protection at the Election without in any way compromising their Unionist principles ? Many Protectionists, I think, would agree that . if at the Election more votes should be given to the two Free Trade: parties (Liberal and Labour) taken together, than to Protectionists, it would be undesirable to attempt to introduce Protection in the face of this fact, even though, owing to three- cornered contests, more Protectionists than Free Traders should be elected to the House of Commons.
Is it too much to ask Unionist Free Traders to make their support of Protectionist candidates conditional upon such , candidates giving a pledge that they will only vote for Pro- tectionist measures if a clear majority Of the total votes cast at the Election should have been given to Protectionists ?-
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