Lord Cowper, one of the most respected and accomplished of
Unionist Peers, has written an important letter to the Times. He admits that with the appointment of Mr. Chamberlain's Commission Protection pure and simple is staring us in the face. But he is unable to follow the Duke
of Devonshire in believing it to be the duty of Unionists to sacrifice every other party principle to the defence of Free- trade. He cannot trust the fortunes of our education policy, the solidarity of the Empire, and Army reform to the Liberal party as at present constituted. The election of Chamber- lainites at by-elections can do little harm, provided they support the general policy of the Government; but if the Government loses a series of by-elections, it will be weakened and discredited, "and the condition of foreign affairs is in itself sufficient to pravent us from wishing for that." His advice to Unionists is to wait, and not go against their party till Protection is actually before the country. We can only say that we do not agree. Protection is already before the country in a most serious sense, and if we wait till a General Election before opposing it with all our might, our opposition will be futile.
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