New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-28
NEw-roRn DAILY TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER % 1881

more and try 10 wire them together and pre-
tend there still lie in them and snuff tho doors
| OF his putrid cargo and make believe it was the
fresh air of new heaven that flled his nosriis At
this crisis in tho history OF his party with
n new departure and the hope Of
a new period - Of ascendancy in the
country Opening bright before him, he actually
made speech about Constantinople and the Berlin
treaty. Ii may borrow metaphor from Ameri-
can politics which has done quite duty enough in
its own sphere, he waved the bloody shirt again,
and again sought to work on the ignorant appre-
tensions of his hearers that Liberal Governments
are not o Ne trusted to maintain the greatness of
England in Europe, in ASIA anywhere on the
globe.
To what had happened in North Lincolnshire Sir
Stafford Northcote did indeed refer But the way
in which he referred to it sexactly characteristic
of the man. He mentioned it by name and
left his audience to take up the ausion
and applaud it. From Sir Stafford himself
not a word of applause. For anything he said, his
audience left to conjecture whether he regarded
the election of Lord Beaconsfed's Chief Secretary
for Ireland as a Conservative victory or not On the
far more important question of the professions by
which the victory had been won he took refuge not
in absolute silence, but in studied ambiguity. To
describe his attitude the English presshave recourse
to the political vocabulary of America He climbed
upon the fence, says one journal and another de-
picts the Conservative leader in the language of the
Biglow Papers as facing South by North Il have
always been" observed Sir Stafford. ga Free
Trader, and am Free Trader now, but desire to
see Free Trade universal and fair" To appreciate
the paltering and double sense of that phrase You
have only to bear in mind that the Protection of the
hour has chosen to shelter It's irst-tledged decacy
under the euphemsm of Fair Trade. Fair Trade has,
therefore, in the parlance of to-day if not
definite meaning, perfectly Ineligible
significance. 1t sums up the purposes of
the daily growing party who for Reciprocity
Retaliation, and much Protection they can get
Practically il means Protection in one form or an
other. SO thIt when Sir Stafford Northcote says
that he desires to see Free Trade fair, he says in
effect he desires to combine Free Trade With the
system of Protection which it ovcrthrew, and to
which it is radically and rreconcably hostile.
Sir Stafford Northcoto has been Free-Trader
all his life. He is disciple of
Peel. He is one of the numerous and lately all
powerful school which comprised the whole British
nation and looked upon Protection and Protoc-
Gonists with contempt they took no pains to
zeal. Free Trade "A dogma-almost d revela-
ton. Ii more than that. 1t n
mathematicaly dcmonstrable truth. One of its
abest opponents illustrates SIR Stafford Northcotes
present dallying with it by help of the mutiplica-
ton table. Sir Stafford said the new economical
questions would be brought up in the House, and
that he awaited discussion" " Henceforth,'
scornfully rctors the disciple Of Golden. 4" if a Con-
servative candidate should win seat by maintain
ing that two and two made five, wo may expect TO
hear that the leader of the Opposition keeping
an open mind on such complicated problom, and
waiting for discussion III the Honse of Commons
after information had been collected the subject
h' ore he could pronounce decidedly for against
the new views ON arithmetic Bnt the question is
definitely raised and has got TO be answered. Sir
stafford may rink from il to-day, but tomorrow
comes and again tomorrow, and he cannot shirl it
forever Lord Salisbury is believed to ne ready for
il. The bulk of the party is ready for anything that
will win, though its ablest journal is not. And
later Sir Stafford will either have To make
up his mind, will have it made up for him by u en-
stronger than he. or by uts which are stronger
than he and ms colleague together. Il. w. 3.