New-York tribune., 1902-03-24
ENGLISH PUBLIC LIFE.
yoRD RosEBERY IN FIGHTING MOOD
RADICAL FAINT HEART AND AU-
DACIOUS TORY DEMOCRAT
AN IAIPERIALISTS
MESSAGE.
London. March ID.

Lord Rosebery IS not weakening under at
tack His speech at Glasgow has the tough
fibre Of earnestness which his oratory has or
dinarily lacked. 1t discIoses an inhexibIe deter
nination to remain in the Liberal party and to
heht for his principles. It will impart a power
ful impulse to the Liberal League as an agency
Of propa gandism within the party since it dis
pels the Illusion that he is an irresponsible
guerilla leader acting Independently and in dis
regard Of the ordinary principles Of political
warfare. A militant speech was needed in or
Ger 10 convince his followers that he thor
oughly in earnest. deeply impressed with the
necessity for making a resolute stand, and bent
upon constructive work which would enable the
Liberal party TO regain the confidence Of the
sourtTy The Glasgow speech was admirab BILE
alike n form and spirit. and supplied ample
proof that Lord Rosebery. like all Englishmen
Of the first rank. had hardened and stiffened
under fire. A statesman of brilliant gifts. he had
been too highly favored by fortune and had
won the Premiership too easily Opposition
from factions and rancoroUs personal animos-
tiles had unnerved him for a long period, and
untitled him for political leadership. Gradually
It has invigorated him and developed the fight
ing power which is indispensable for effective
campaigning
There viii be no Liberal recession That is
the first point. and it is of vital importance.
The Rosebery Liberals. who joined the new
League. are not TO be drummed out of the old
party, but are to remain where they have al
ways been. and to work out what they con-
slider the salvation Of the historic organization
which has set up all the landmarks Of progress
sive reform during the last half century. This
is good augury for the future of the country.
as well as Of the Liberal party. The lack OF an
efficient opposition has been fatal to admins
trative efficiency during the South African war.
The secession Of the Liberal Imperialists would
have crippled and paralyzed opposition al
ready weakened and demoralized. The Liberal
League. like the Corn Law League in the days
Of Golden and Bright. is to be a centre of propa-
gandsm within the party. Whether not it
converts the Radicals who have made the sup
port of Sir Henry CampbsIl-Bannerman a fetch
Of party loyalty, it will increase the attractive
power Of Liberalism in the country. Lord Rose
berry may not have proved that he is the only
leader who can rally the opposition and enable
!t TO regain power; but he has made it evident.
at least, that his active support and co-opera-
ton are Indispensable If Liberalism is to be-
come once more a supreme political force. At
Glasgow as at Chesterfield. Lord Rosebery laid
stress upon the urgent necessity for finding an
alternative government when stale ministry
has displayed extraordinary ineptitude in con-
Quoting the costliest war in British annals, and
in neglecting the most pressing interests of So
cial decentralization, temperance and the
housing question. It cannot be doubted that
there is a large body Of wavering voters who
would be influenced by a practical programme
Of this sort If a general election were TO follow
the close Of the campaign in South Africa.
In the course Of frank conversation one
Of the sncerest and most democratic Radicals
whom I know remarked inpetuously: Much as
dislike and distrust Mr.. Chamberlain. 1 would
sooner see him Prime Minister than Lord Rose
berry" That exclamation sums up the feeling
Of a considerable body Of Radicals. and illus
trates the inherent difficulty Of Lord Rosebery's
enterprise Of Liberal reconstruction. Not only
is the leadership Of a peer considered imprac-
ticable by many earnest Radicals, but the
perior resources Of the middle class champion
OF Tory Democracy are also secretly acknowl-
edged. Lord Rosebery is constantly misjudged
on Radical issues. as he has been within week
for alleged hostility to the principle of taxing
land values in cities, whereas he has merely
been in doubt respecting practical scheme for
carrying it out. Mr.. Chamberlain is not free
from the reproach Of playing with serious ques-
tons OF state socialism, such as old age pen
sonsi but his failures are set down to his Tory
environment, and his successes. like the COM
pulsory accident insurance measure,
cepted as convincing proofs Of sympathy with
hesitating and unwilling colleagues. Radicals
whatever may be their objections to Mr.. Cham
berlans colonial policy. cannot help feeling that
the Home Rule question deprived them of their
natural leader on social questions. AS for Lord
Rosebery, they cannot be readily convinced that
his heart is with them. He may be a saner i'm
periaIist and a more discreet diplomatist in for
egn relations but he is less sincere as a Radical
than Mr.. Chamberlain the most powerful min
lister Of the coalition government.
For this reason progressive Radicals would
prefer TO witness the triumph Of Tory Democ-
rscy after the in the succession Of Mr.
Chamberlain to the office Of Prime Minister than
the conversion of the Liberal party into an
alternative inperialist group under the leader
ship Of Lord Rosebery. They assert that each
is an imperialist, but that one is a better Radi-
cal than the other, with a closer grip upon the
confidence and affections Of the working classes
The o-Boer Radicals and the Nationalists go
even further. They know that they have nothing
n expect from Lord Rosebery in imperial or
Irish policy which will be essentially different
from what Mr.. Chamberlain will order, If he
obtains supreme control of the government.
They would welcome Mr.. Chamberlain Prime
Minister because they confident that he will
break up the Unionist coalition by Transforming
the fiscal and tariff systems. and thereby enable
the Liberals to return 10 power as the cham
pions OF free trade ard untaxed food. One ele-
ment Of the problem. however, must not be left
out OF account The Liberals by their faction
politics are inevitably keeping Mr.. Chamberlain
down. If they were 10 unite under Lord Rose
berry they would compel the government to pull
itself together under its most aggressive leaders,
LIBERAL disunion releases the ministry from the
responsibilities Of power and deprives Mr..
chamberlain Of the opportunities for effective