Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1901-07-24
ASQU|THATABANQUET
Gathering Does Not Sound a Key.
note for the Party Glad.
stone Led.
RosEBERY REPLIES TO HIS CRITICS
Insists That the First Duty of All Par
ties Is to the Empire, When
War Comes.

London, July 20.-The dinner given
last night to Herbert III. Asquith by
thirty Liberal members of the house Of
commons and $40 other public men,
which had been looked forward to for
month as an event that might result
IN the organized secession of the Lib
eral lmperialists, was a quiet and
even dreary affair. Asquith's speech
had been spoiled by the incidents of
the week, especially by Lord Rose
Dery's letter to the City Liberal club
and by his speech later before that
body AsQuith spoke with Difference
OF Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman, but
did not mention Lord Rosebery. He
reaffirmed in moderate phrases his
protest against the Liberal party iden-
tfying itself with the pro-Boer group,
declaring that Liberals must recognize
the empire and its needs and then go
in for domestic reforms. The speech
is generally regarded as not in any
way altering the situation of the Lib
erals.
Thinks He Hit the BuIps-Eye.
Speaking at the City Liberal club
yesterday afternoon Lord ROsebery
said that his recent manifesto, i'm
which he declared that the Liberal
party could not exist under the present
conditions, had been followed by such
an extraordinary hullabaloo that he
felt convinced he had expressed the
clear and exact truth in respect to the
situation, and not one of his allega-
lions had been disproved or challenged.
Lord Rosebery said he regarded this
as conclusive proof that when the
naked truth was told in the political
world it produced an amount of an
guish, bowling and misery which was
unspeakable; yet there was no politi-
clan on either side who did not know
in his heart that what he had said rep
resented not merely the absolute truth
but also common sense
Must First Be for the Empire.
The speaker said he wrote the mani
festo because, after the meetings in
Queens hall and at the Reform club,
unless some clear reputation of the
statements regarding the war was
made it was impossible for the Liberal
party to continue to exist as sound
force. appealing to the highest sympa-
thies of the country. On the question
OF the war his lordship said his start
ing point was that in spite of the
Jameson raid, and in spite of the South
African committee, the Beers had in
vaded the dominions of the late queen,
and from that moment, although he
had criticised the methods of the gov
eminent, yet on the main issue--to
carry the war to a triumphant close
1T would have his warmest support,
That Vote of Confidence in Sir henry.
Lord Rosebery said the vote of con-
fidence in Sir Henry Campbell Banner
man, the Liberal leader, passed at the
Reform club meeting, was, in the
Earl of Beaconsfelds phrase, organ
lied Hypocrisy" and that his reason
for disturbing the Olympian repose
created by this vote of confidence was
that the position was as perilous to
the party as to the present government.
There was. he said, no impartial OBJ.
server who remembered any govern
ment which had crowded such a fright
full assemblage of error, weakness and
wholesale plumbers into its administra-
tion. Lord Rosebery's remarks were
greeted with loud and prolonged
cheers