[TO TIM EDITOR OF THE ° SPECTATOR-1 SIR, — The other day I
was in a part of the country when, railways are few, and I had to travel across country in an omnibus. A man got in, who presently engaged me in con- versation on the subject of the day, and greatly surprised me by the simple, moving eloquence with which he described his own experiences in the days of "blessed Protection." As a child he had known what it was to appease the pangs of hunger by going to where the pigs' food was kept. Now, there must be many men like my companion, about sixty-five years of age, able to tell a similar graphic story, and so to influence, numbers of voters in their neighbourhood, who can perhaps hardly be expected to follow the admirable speeches of our leaders,—notably of Mr. Asquith. We are in for a big fight, and it behoves Free-traders not to fall into the habitual error of our War Office,—of underrating the forces arrayed against them. I have been astonished at the numbers and kind of people who are impressed, if not convinced, by Mr. Chamberlain's contention. His strength largely lies in the skill with which he works on the unregenerate Adam of the natural man in two respects. (1) Most people, however well off they may be, would like to have a little more. There is, therefore, some- thing peculiarly seductive when a clever, self-confident fellow comes along and tells them that he has got a plan to secure what they wish, and that the other fellows can only talk about " this best of all possible worlds," &c., or are too stupid for any- thing but the mumbling of old shibboleths. (2) Mr. Chamber- lain certainly knows how to appeal to the fighting instinct in our nature. It is wonderful how he persuades people that some- how everything will come right if only he can get nations at war—commercial or other—with each other. He reminds me of the American practitioner who was puzzled by a child that was brought to him for treatment. " Bless. me ! " said he, "I don't know what's the matter with the youngster; but I'll give it some of this mixture, which will send it into fits, and I'm a regular dab at fits! "—I am, Sir, &c.,
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