The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-12-24 00:00:00

ON TnE WAR RUMOURS.

Addressing a great public meeting in the finning,
Lord Salisbury, at the outset, dealt with foreign
affairs, which, he observed, weighed heaviest on his
thoughts. He stated that so far as diplomatic in-
formation went, there was no ground for the imme-
diate terror which seemed to have seized the news-
papers and the Exchanges of Europe; he had no
ground for believing that any danger to the peace of
Europe was impending. Vast armaments continually
watching each other must, however, give rise to
solicitude in those to whom the peace of Europe was
of deep interest.
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OUR FAIR TRADE.
The noble marquis then referred to Fair Trade, and
said he did not know exac.ly what it meant, but he
would wait the clauses of a bill to see what the Fair
Traders desired. Meanwhile, continued the Prime
Minister, I protest most energetically against the
impression that it is tn follow that her Majesty's
Government are pledged to the doctrines of Pro-
tection. We have always and on all occasions
frankly expressed our opinion that protection
of corn, that the advocacy of such a doc-
trine, is very unwise, and that the prospect of
such a measure being carried into effect even
if it were expedient, which I do not think it is—is
absolutely out of the bounds of political possibility.
(Cheers.) We are, and we always have been, op-
posed to the proposal of any Protectionist doctrine
(Cheers.) But allow me, in saying that, to take note
that the extreme advocates of Free Trade are apt to
use the undoubted position which the doctrine of
Free Trade has obtained in order to gather under its
broad mantle many things which really have nothing
to do with Free Trade. (Hear, hear.) I decline—
though repudiating both in respect of corn and all
other matters the doctrines of Protection—l decline to
make any other fiscal pledge. I decline to say how
far and to what
,extent our fiscal system may be
modified, for such questions must be dealt with simply
on the merits of each individual case, and cannot be
included in any general formula. (Cheers.) I can
quite imagine that many modifications of our fiscal
system may be very desirable. I am by no means
an enthusiast for the extreme simplicity of fiscal
arrangement which is due to Mr. Gladstone's intro-
ducticn, but I energetically protest against being
considered a Protectionist because I will not accept
all the illegitimate consequences which he has
adduced from Protection and Free Trade. (Cheers.)
I should like to take one particular instance, which,
though it does not interest this city particularly,
interests other cities very largely—l mean the ques-
tion of sugar bounties. (Cheers.) I belie7e by the
careful management of Baron De Worms we have
succeeded in obtaining from all the Powers—l
think with one exception, or perhaps with no ex-
ception—a condemnation of the system of sugar
bounties and a strong recommendation to their
Governments to take the measures necessary for
getting rid of them. (Cheers.) I believe that in so
doing we have not only not been false to the doctrines
of Free Trade, but we have given the strongest support
to the doctrines of Free Trade, because we have
induced other nations to be Free Traders as well as
ourselves—(hear, hear)—and however great the
benefits of Free Trade may be, you will not enjoy the
whole of them, or one-tenth part of them, until you
have induced other nations to be as convinced as you
are of the truth of the doctrines of Free Trade.
(Cheers, and a Voice : "They won't have
it.") Well, I do not know. My friend in
the corner says they won't have it, and
there is no doubt that in those four wOrds he

has expressed the great fiscal difficulty of the moment.
(Laughter.) We have been for 40 years the professors
of Free Trade. We thought that the moment we were
to everybody else would follow our example, and, unfor-
tunately, nobody has done so. But remember that we
are a eommunity peculiarly constituted. We have vast
artisan populations, whose interest is in manu-
factures and not in the land. Will you raise the
price of their food merely for the purpose of giving
benefit to one particular industry? Again, most
other nations feed, or nearly feed, by their own pro-
auctions the populations they possess. We only feed
a third of the population we possess. it is obvious,
therefore, that we are in a peculiar position, and
though I quite understand the feeling of our farmers,
and deeply sympathise with their sufferings, anti
would earnestly apply any power the Government
possessed to alleviate their sufferings, I am yet obliged
to say they will not find, they cannot find, in the
doctrines of Protection any alleviation from the ruin
which in too many instances threatens them.
(Cheers.)