The evil, continued Mr.. Balfour, had gone too far to
be owed. The great commercial nations of the world would not abandon Protection. But he knew at least of a palliative,— viz., the assertion of our right to bargain with other nations. His request, therefore, was "that the people of this country should give to the Government of this country, from whatever party that Government may be drawn, that freedom of negotia- tion. of which we have been deprived, not by the force of cir- cumstances, not by the action of overmastering forces, not by the pressure of foreign Powers, but by something which I can only describe as our own pedantry and our own self-conceit." The evil of fiscal divisions as regards our Colonies had been allowed by us a.nd by them to reach a point at-which it was in- capable of any.complete solution. Even an attempted solution would imply taxation of food, and for that public opinion was not ripe. ?or the moment, therefore, the mandate of Protection for,which he asked only extended to liberty of negotiation with foreign countries. There was no idea of a general tariff war.
Previous page
