[To THE EDITOR OF THY "EPECTATOR." . 1 Srn, — In your comments on
my letter in your last issue you do not explain how, if all Unionist Free-traders vote for Liberal Free-traders at the next Election, there is likely to remain any body of Unionists professing Free-trade principles within the House of Commons to lead the party in the right paths, or for what constituency Lord Curzon is to sit if he remains in the Lower House. Unless there is a definite alliance like that against Home-rule, including some share of the power of Government, it is difficult to understand how the Unionist Free-traders are to survive.—I am, Sir, &c., M. B.
[We only ask Unionist Free-traders to vote for Liberal Free-traders when there is no Unionist Free-trader in the field. When there is a Unionist Free-trade candidate their first duty would naturally be to vote for him. We have always held that at the beginning of the Fiscal controversy a concordat should have been arrived at between the Unionist Free- traders and the Liberals. That such an agreement was not reached was, however, we are bound to admit, quite as much the fault of the Unionist Free-traders as of the Liberals. The latter were not perhaps as generous as they might have been, but the Unionist Free-traders incurred suspicion by their refusal to take the field boldly against Mr. Balfour. If they cease to exist as a Parliamentary group which is the very last thing we desire, it will be due to their folly in having allowed themselves to be chloroformed into the belief that Mr. Balfour would in the end turn out to be a Free- trader.—ED. Spectator.]
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