CABIN - ET RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BUDGET. [To TAR EDITOR OF TEl
SricrA-rort."1 BIE,—Your correspondent "A J.P." in the Spectator of the 25th ult. seeks to persuade himself that there cannot be any- thing wrong with the Budget because several " enlightened and patriotic statesmen" in the Cabinet are responsible for it. But surely "A J.P." must see that this argument can be used to back up almost anything in politics. These same eminent statesmen have announced, for instance, that they are going to grant Home-rule. Why does not "A J.P." apply the same argument in this case P Yet he declares that he "detests Home-rule " I Then, again, he talks of "a policy of Protection and all its disastrous consequences." But statesmen quite as "patriotic and enlightened" as any in the Cabinet are willing to make themselves responsible for the above " policy " and its " consequences." It seems to me, therefore, that "A j.P.'s " argument that the Budget must be fairly sound on account of the soundness of its backers applies just as much to Tariff Reform. And here I would ask : Why do Free-traders who are so filled with doubts on other subjects invariably assume as a proven fact that Tariff Reform must have "disastrous consequences " P After all, they must admit there is a good deal of weighty opinion on
the other side.—I am, Sir, 8e3., IMPERIALIST.
Previous page
