The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-07-26
ASQU|THAT ABANQUET
Gathering Does Not Sound 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 H. 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 quiet and
even dreary affair. Asquith's speech
had been spoiled by the incidents of
the week, especially by Lord Rose
Gery's letter to the City Liberal club
and by his speech later before that
body. AsQuith spoke with Difference
OF Sir Henry Campbell but
did not mention Lord Rosebery. He
reat11rmed in moderate phrases his
protest against the Liberal party iden-
tifying itself with the pro-Boer group,
declaring that Liberals must recognize
the empire and it's 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 Bull's-Eye.
Speaking at the City Liberal club
yesterday afternoon Lord ROSebery
said that his recent manifesto, III
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-
| tions 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 shat 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 a 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 commillee, 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-tC
carry the war to triumphant close
it would have his warmest support.
That Vote of Confidence in Sir Henry.
Lord Rosebery said the vote of con
fdence in Sir Henry Campbell-Banner
man, the Liberal leader, passed at The
Reform club meeting, was, in thu
Earl of Beaconsfeld's phrase, organ
lied Hypocrisy" and that his reason
for disturbing the Olympian repost
created by this vote of confidence was
that the position was as perilous tt
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 an(
wholesale plumbers into it's administra
ton. Lord Rosebery's remarks were
greeted with loud and prolonged
| cheers.