[To THY EDITOR OF THY "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—I have been a
Conservative, not to say a Tory; from my youth up, and I have always done, and in my old age still do, my best to support the Conservative cause both by gifts of money and, where the opportunity offers, by speech. I am also a Free Trader, but in these latter days, in view of the greater dangers to which the present Government exposes the nation, I have been content to abstain from active opposition to Tariff Reform, otherwise Protection. With Mr. Balfour's pledge before me, that Tariff Reform should not be imposed on the country until it had been sanctioned by a Referendum, this has seemed to me a most dangerous course to adopt. That pledge has now been withdrawn by the present leaders of the party. What, then, should be done ? What I propose to do, and suggest other Unionist Free Traders should do, is at once to withdraw from Unionist political organizations all support, pecuniary and other, until Mr. Balfour's pledge is renewed and confirmed by the present party leaders. If they do renew it, my object will be gained, and I shall with the greatest pleasure renew my support. If they do not, the loss of the support of myself and of other Unionist Free Traders can do no harm, for in that case the cause is lost already.—I am, Sir, &a., Abingdon. H. W. Brass.
[We cannot agree. The policy advocated by Sir Henry Bliss was perfectly permissible to Unionists so long as the safety of the Union was not involved. Now, however, that it is impossible to withdraw support from a Unionist body without in fact aiding those who mean to destroy the Union, such action is utterly inadvisable. The preservation of the Union is the immediate duty of all Unionists.—ED. Spectator.]
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