FREE-TRADE AND "DOWN WITH THE LORDS." lTo TUN EDITOR OF
THIS " SPEOTATOR."f Srn,—Will you grant me a little space to reply to your com- ments on my letter published in your last issue ? I ask it because your words imply that the Liberal programme as outlined by Mr. Asquith involves unfair treatment of Unionist Free-traders, and it is difficult to "take lying down" a charge of not playing the game. Even the least sporting of Radicals hopes and believes that his conduct is sportsman- like. Your argument is that because for three years you urged your readers to vote for Liberal candidates, and many of them did so, we now owe it to you, and those in agreement with you, to sacrifice in our turn "something which we value" in tbe cause of Free-trade. But what is the sacrifice for which you ask ? That we should abandon our campaign against the Lords! In the opinion of many of us that involves abandoning our schemes of social reform, for the veto of the Lords as now exercised is incompatible with an active Liberal policy. It seems that the utmost sacrifice you can recommend to Unionists for the sake of Free-trade is that at one Election, and no more, they should vote Liberal; but the quid pro quo you demand is the abandon- ment of every plank save one in the Liberal platform. We are to be, for the next few years, Free-traders of praeterea nihil. Now, Sir, our ideals are not your ideals. We may be wrong, but a policy of masterly inactivity, even though illumined by the light of the purest economic orthodoxy, appears to us to be a sacrifice of principles. Surely you do not seriously ask for this. At the last Election you cast your vote for the lesser of two evils,—for Free-traders even though Liberals, rather than for Tariff Reformers even though Unionists. Your aid was welcome, but it Would never have been purchased at the price of surrendering our social programme. Our position is now the same as it was then, except that we have at length realised what is the first step to take for the accomplishment of that programme, and are making that step the dominant issue. Finally, may I point out that, as you loyally supported the Conservative Party in their flg,Itt against Home-rule, they, or such of them as are now Tariff Reformers, are open to a similar charge of disloyalty or unsportsmanlike conduct towards you, in having adopted the policy of Protection ? But, just as they are entitled to change their convictions on this issue, to are we to maintain ours on domestic legislation. Condemn us, Sir, if you will as political madmen, but not as political ingrates or traitors.,—I rano [In other words, Liberals are only willing to support Free- trade if such support does not involve any of those political sacrifices which then are obliged to make when they combine with others to attain some object of supreme importance. That is just our point.—ED. Spectator.]
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