New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-09
THE GOLDEN CLUB.
IT'S EULOGIES ON PRESIDENT CLEVELAND.
ITS HOSTILITY TO AMERICAN POLICY
LORD FARRER, LORD PLAyFAYR. Mr..
SHEARAIAN AND MR.. BAYARD

LORD FARRER, LORD PLAyFArR, MR..
SHEARAIAN AND MR. BAYARD.
London. July 2s.
The most important economical fact of TIN
vear said the President Of the Golden Club at the
annual meeting of the club on Saturday, is the
election of Free Trade President Of the United
States. The President Of the United States u
known TO yon; his name in private life is under
.tood TO be Cleveland. But who knows the name
Of the President of the Golden Club, or which il
tho greater Office OF the two? When you hear
that he is Mr.. r. Bayley Potter, NJ. p, are you
mich the wiser? Does the name call up face,
a figure? A rotund and somewhat vacant face.
!, rotund and wcll-tillcd figure? And Yet Mr..
Potter. aforetime Secretary. now promoted to b
President. of the Golden Club, has been NJ. T. for
Rochdale we'll nigh thirty years; since the death
OF Mfr. Cobden April, IS, says the official chron-
;cler. lie is a Magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant
of the County Palatine of Lancaster. and Mag
istrate for Manchester and Gladstonan Item;
and has other titles to fame; among them that Of
being now IT, a position to patronze the Presi.
dent of the United States. IL he is unknown 70
You is it your fault or his? The Golden Club
il his mission in life, and the Cobden Club ia
not lust now at the most brilliant period OF ito
career
1t still has, however, not only President but
n Secretary, Mr. Richard Gowins; OF whom
should like to tell you something, but cannot
except that he is Secretary Of the Golden Club.
Mr. Richard Gowing is perhaps more strictly the
official mouthpiece of the club than Mr. Potter.
He takes ND Mr. Potters song; sings it over
again. with variations and eaborations. To him
AIS. the most noteworthy event OF the last twelve
months was the Presidential election in the
United States and The signal triumph Of the
democrats under Mr. Grover Cleveland Tho
contest" saws Mr.. Richard Gowing was fought
fairly and squarely on the thrift question, and
the result was that the Democrats, who were
the champions of industrial and commercial
freedom, were installed in power ] DO not
know whether these British paeans sound pleas
antIy in Democratic ears or NOT nor whether Mr..
Cleveland and his followers understand clearly
that the congratulations offered them are founded
on the belief that their policy will promote British
interests at the expense Of American interests.
II is the British manufacturer who speaks by
the mouths Of Mr. Bayley Potter and Mr.. Richard
Gowing He has, as lie has always had his
eye OH American markets, out Of which he
hopes TO drive his American rival. That ia IN"
point of view from which he sings Free Trade
Psalms of triumph over the triumph of Sfr. Cleve-
land and the Democrats. lie regards them as
his allies. if not his servants.
third name appears in these proceedngs;
somewhat better known than the other two that
Of Lord Farrer: still better known as Sir Thomas
Farrer lie used 10 be Secretary TO the Board OF
Trade was made Baronet, and only the other
day Peer: one of Mr.. Gladstone's Birthday
Peers. No better specimen Of the pure doc
trnaire survives. The question of Free Trade
and Protection is To him the one question on
which everything turns. foltics, religion itself
apparently, arc subsidiary to this. lie moved the
adoption of the Secretary's report with its ditby-
rambs on the Democrats and all the rest. This
report did not, think say much about religion.
but went deep into politics. Heretofore. the
Golden Club has kept ont Of politics. or out Of
domestic politics. Ii concerned itself good deal
with American politics, but took no side in its
own country. Now, when dinner j. again given
after an interval Of several years the club takes
a plunge into the domestic whirlpool 1t con-
graduates not only President Cleveland bur, Mr..
Gladstone, or in its curious way, congraCates
itself "op the accession 10 power Of an Admins
tr;ition whose position on the question Of Free
Trade i, free from ambiguity This is the re-
port of which Lord Farrer moved the adoption.
He must therefore he held 10 sanction the state
ment that the Tory party had shown its protection
list procliyites in Lord Salisburys speech al Hast
and in the Sheffield conference which adopted
resolution in favor of protection to British work.
crs.'
Tine was when declaration Of this sort would
have had an influence OF the course of affairs.
Its pr,sent importances is academic. \ club which
has not vitality enough TO dine oftener than once
in four or five years is not likely TO overturn
a government, nor To lend much strength to the
which it favors with its support.
But the American Protcctionist might ask him.
self why his sympathies should 90 out to a party
by the Golden Club as hostile TO
and hostile to policy which is essen
italy American Mr.. Gladstone distinguished
himself by the acrimony of his opposition TO the
Tariff. just he distinguished himself
by the acrimony of his opposition to the American
Union. and by the acrimony of his partisanshlp
FOR Jefferson Davis and for the Rebellion. of which
Jefferson Davis was the head. Are these reasons
Tor taking a sentimental view of English politics,
or disregarding facts, for backing the Glastonans
through thick and thin, for idolizng Mr.. Glad
'tone' And why should the American Irish sup
port the party in America which in England is
recognized, and rightly recognized, as the champion
If English interests?
IF you recur for a moment to the speech Of
Lord Fayfair, another Gladstonan Peer. at the
somewhat fOrOrn dinner of the Golden Club. you
ind similar expressions about America. Lord
'layfair is not less docrinaire than Lord Farrer.
nd rather more arrogant. lou hear in every
entence that note of conscious superiority 10
ther men who are not Free Traders, and that
rofound conviction of his own infilbity, which
re the carmark of Free Traders the world
yer. The Professors and Dry Goods Importers
nd Jobbcrs who in the van of American Free
rade have il in "A very high degme. Both Lord
'layfar and Lord Farrr admit, while they
nourn over what they call the revival of Pro-
ccticn Both repeat the stale arguments and
tale illustrations which seem to have been left
YER from the last dinner. and are naturally
title mOuldy, with u fla, or Of the damp cup