New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-15
THE Golden CLUB.

The Golden Club lnc1uent, VI wni0A e.
.n.tbine before, has ended in blaze Oh giois "a
-. Chamberlain. 1t seems row pretty wen asa
-. the secession of Mr. Goschen and his coneaeues
va 49, mainly 20 their wish to express protest
's,sst Reaicalism as impersonated by the fres'-
49, Of the Board Of Trade. Mr.. Goschen Is avery
s~ns;derab,e parsonage and Lord Amptnlii
rother But if they had desired TO do Mt Cnani-
xar,ain n service. they could not have deViseu
s,ter method than that which they hit upon IN 'n0
hone of discreditiDg him. They mifhe na'o w.
s.en this result had they but reflected wna' ali gu
xsnerv the inventor of the Birmingham Cau0us -
.yer ready to the touch. man who' as DE one
Lee can mack a Parliament. could hardy oe a'
y :. e. oroanize a dinner at the snip ho'oi IA
s,-.,.h Nor did It need much organizing. MT.
chomherlain is leader who rouses as niucu ue-
.,,.a enthusiasm among bis frenos as rancor on
.hs cart of his political enemies Inc section VI
radicals of whom be is now the cniei "in "
through fire and water for the man whom o'rin LIN
ham afectionstely nicknames our Joe. ino
a,,ant II was suspected that demonstration was
49,. AGAINST him. his friends rallied in numbers
The C6bden Club dinner had become tiresome
an n most members of that curious
r,st;tutiop. 1t was all at once galvanized into
l;fsl,ke activity. Never before say the faithful.
has there been such festival-never before so
r,nv diners or such spirit of militant hilaTlty.
Moro than three hundred sat down to meat. OF
rather TO fish ito that endless succession oil horrible
esmpounds which now make up the once famous
fs.b dinner Of the Greenwich hotels. There were
!, ~ fortv members of Parliament. There were dis
a. puished strangers including seven OF eight from
1, limited States and from other countries where
ound protsctionist policy prevails; Australia Tor
i, ample Lord Houghton, who is everywhere, was
, .seut; his health, am glad to say. somewhat re-
O. ablished. Mr.. Chamberlain was cheered when
went on board the steamer which conveyed the
npany from Westminster to Greenwich; cheereo
len he left IT.; cheered when he took the CHAIR;
heered when he rose to speak, and cheered wnen ne
at down with many more intermediate cheers dur
NJ the course and progress Of various addresses
hong and short. The papers reported the dinner at
a,usual length, and Mr.. Chamberlain in full The
sosech was we'll worth reporting. 1t gives one
,.sar notion of what may call the newly revealed
. plomatic quality in this fiery innovator. Nothing
' mid have been easier than for man OF an awk-
\ I'd mind to throw away all tho chances thus
. ,red him. Mr.. Chamberlain has at times given
,bst seemed needless offence to friends and foes.
Srt ON Saturday be took the night tone. and when
sat down an American admirer who was present
Isamed mn the general verdict that he had made
every trick.
suppose / need hardly explain that
&hatever / say about this Copdcn
dinner rests upon that sort of evidence which law
kars, sometimes with excessive pedantry. teach us
20 distrust az hearssy. This yearly banquet upon
n senwich fish is one of those privileges which the
tuighted Protectionist must be content to forego
some years the secretary Of tho club was, In
3D. good enough to send me invitations to the DIN
o.; knowing, no doubt, that was spending my
he outside of the Bedlam to which Mr.. Bright
<hooo ho do
war or trade, and assuming that had earned this
frc.dom by adopting Mr.. Cobden's opinions For
.ome years thought it sufficient to return formal
refusal but at last 1t seemed right to explain as
renty as could that am. in fact, Pr0tsctionist
Ihsve never had another invitation.
ms the intolerance OF Radicasm. its rule ruin
policy against which the seceders from the Golden
koant to make stand. II Mr.. Labouchere Is to be
pcce pied as an authorized exponent Of Radlcalsm,
he protest against intolerance could be supported
nom his public declarations. He is In some sense.
heutep ant of Mr. Chamberlain, but Mt. Chamber
lain il not a man to he bound by anybody's profess
dous but his own and in this point of intolerance
he has turned the tables on his opponents. As be
stated his position and that of his party on Satr-
Oar, nothing could be more moderate, reasonable,
lnofensve even. Party union, he truly said, Is
based upon mutual concession, and he cleverly
sdded what is equally true for the moment. that
4 Ia The Radicals who have to make the greatest
Concessions In keeping step within the Liberal ranks
They have to slacken speed in order to SUIT the
psce of the slowest Of their travelling companions
That obligation he accepts. He sees that progress
b England has always been slow. The condition
pf advance is TO carry along with the party the con-
vinced Judgment and the intelligent opinion OF the
great majority of the Nation. So much SIR. Cham
befiain yields He claims, the other hand. free
and full federation for the expression OF his opin-
Ions That is precisely what was questioned and
denied to him when he proclaimed the other day at
Birmingham the present Radical platform: Man
hood suffrage equal electoral districts, and pay
meut of members of Parliament Our views and
doctrines retorts Mr.. Chamberlain, in his epigram-
matte way, may not be ripe for acceptance, but
they are always ripe for discussion. Radicals are
The pioneers of the Liberal party. They always
In advance. 1t is their business TO edu-
cate the public mind and pave the way for
futnre progress: land il that right is denied us,
say that union is impossible 1t is the seceders,
thea, who are intolerant, the Radicals who are
tolerant, who conceds to the Wing section OF the
Liberal party liberty OF action the present, in
clnsling free OF the curb and drag. claiming
only in return freedom of opinion to the future
On the point of his solidarity with the Cabinet Mr.
, Chamberlain cleverly refrains from dwelling He
wa not arguing with his colleagues, nor with any
body who has claim to speak in behalf Of bis col
leagues But nothing could be more spirited than
the declaration with which he concluded. that If
silsnce debatsble questions is to be imposed as
tie condition upon which alone Radicals may be
Nrnitted to cooperate then say 1t will, be inn
possible for Radicals to share in the work of gov
samcnt till they are strong enough to dictate its
policy To suppose that Radicals will be
b1bcd by Office to be unfaithful to their cherished
prnciples, or that they viii purchase place at the
sser6ce Of all which should lead honest men te
eovet 1T. lisa delusion "as insulting to our common
sense as it is injurious to our honor"
NJ I ought to take pains TO say that the cause
Tree Trade and the memory of Mr. Golden were b.