New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-19
EPOCH MAKING SPEECH
Mr.. Chamberlain at Glasgoyc-TIs
Murder of Free Trade Ont.

shared the consciousness OF being witueSse.
when history had been made. Five thousand an
ditors had this celebrating experience and 81
effect was intensified by the knowledge sb,,
hfty-five thousand applicants for seats had baa,
disappointed. History had been unmade as wall
as made. for sixty years OF Cobdsnisrn had bas,
weighed In the balance and found wanting. bu,
so mastery had been the processes Of Iuminou.
exposition that the audience was impressed u,,s,
| a sense Of creative energy. Old things had
passed away. such as Cobdsnism and the ins.-
lar way Of looking at colonies as natioua, IN
vestments OF doubtful value IN comparison with
the trade OF foreign countries. and there war.
new heavens and a new earth, with the mother
country and the self-governin9 states % N,
empire bound together by mutual interests ns
cessitfes and sacrifices Mr.. Chamberlain rnizh-
be right or wrong IN his system OF imrsr,al
economics. but when he spoke with the Grand
Old Mans air Of conviction IL seemed self,
evident that the new fiscal experiment. would
have TO be tried and that the old policies Z,
which the Industrial interests OF the nation had
been adjusted for a long period would have 70
be reversed. These and many other considera-
tions tended to make the momentary pause afres
the peroration electrical although II spesdi-
Iy followed by enthusiastic acclamatiOns and
rounds OF deafening cheers
For my own part. I could not help recaUin,
as Mr. Chamberlain was speaking one OF H.,
own references TO Mr.. Gladstone as a leader
who had broken up his party twice and thersby-
discredited his claims to practical statesman.
ship. but whose right TO be considered a grea.
debater could not b challenged. Mr.. Chamber
lain also has broken up his party twice-onrs
by secession on the Home Rule question ana
now by his abandonment OF the free trade
policy. and although his enemies may describes
him an intrigue and an ahventurer. rather
than statesman, they must cOncede thas
he is great debater. Il was IN this respect
that his performance last night before a hard
headed. critical Scotch audience deserved IA
highest praise. He was advocating an unpopu-
lar cause. but by sheer debating power ne dis
armed prejudice and commanded respect and
admiration. Never have heard him speak with
equal fervOr and earnestness. The tones OF his
resonant voice were deeper and more sonorous
than usual; MS gestures were broader and uors
masterful: his pale face was more serious his
manner less jaunty. mis- bearing more resoluts
and commanding Released from official obi.
cations. he was at liberty to speak with the IT.
most plainness- His voice fairly vibrated with
sincerity. There were no faItering tones. IN
evasions. when he recommended small taxes On
food. These taxes he considered necessary
| whether the nation wanted them or not ana
the empire must be saved even II sacrifices
q
| tunisn In this speech. and while there was az-
gressivs force in his onslaught upon free trad
ers as Little Englanders. dexterity was not tbs
conspicuous feature OF his argument. II was
pre-eulinently a candid speech. Whether he con-
WINGED hts Scotch auditors not. he was bsnr
upon telling them the truth as II was known
to him. and his incorporating honesty in
parted responsiveness 70 his oratory The Prime,
Minister might be forced to be a trimmer. sincsl
| 1t was necessary to keep the Unionist party to-
gether. but Mr.. Chamberlain free from off,
cial restraints and had the self-gOvernins colo
MES behind him. and. was sturdy JOHN
Brights habit IN the agitation for political re-
form. he could trust the people.
When saw Mr. Chamberlain after his retura
| from South Africa 7 fancied that his face
| showed signs OF advancing years. that his hsurs
was bent and that his manner had lost much
| OF its alertness and vivactty. Last night hs
seemed to have renewed his youth under the
stimulus OF enthusiasm for great cause. When
| he faced an audience which had received him
with heartiest acclamatiCns OF welcome 20
looked hardly more than forty -fve. erect. vgo.-
Gus and confident. and when he began 70 speaS
| there was not a trace OF physical weakness Or
| mental depression Il was the warrior rejoicing
| in a contest for which he was fully armed. and
| it was also the statesman sEayed by nObls
| ideals and aspirations and recognizing moral
obligation to the empire as the highest law OF
British politics. BY force Of habit too. il was
I the practical debater. who had mastered the art
| Of speaking with Unimpeded fUency and .
! making even abstract and complex subjects u
mInous and intensely interesting. Without Eav-
| ing strong or as rlelOdious voice as eiths-
| Mr.. Gladstone or Mr.. Bright. his CHEZ riyas
| IN oratory during his public career. NJ. Cham
berlain has remarkable Clearness and res0nancs
/ Of tone and his delivery. while not deficient IN
variety. has an unpretentious simplicity ana
| businesslike directness. He described hinself
last night as a missionary and IN his persu2si's
| moderation and fervOr he spoke like one. bur -
| reasoned about the politics OF commerce ana
/ empire in the same practical spirit which NJ
| Golden himself disclosed sixty years ago WhVh
he was prOclaiming in a hard. dry way the bag
mans millennium OF free trade. Only once vas
| he beguiled into using literary phrases anu
rhetorical establishment This was when he an
| swered the question: Why cannot you lea''
well alone?" by describing the decline OF tns
/ commercial supremacy OF Venice and the ran o.
| the great tower OF the Campanie. rising aooVs
/ the city which il had overshadOwed for cen
| turtles and looking as though It was as per
/ manent as the city itself" He would not sly
/ that he ANTICIPATED a catastrophe so great OF
| so sudden for British trade. but he couid SEQ
| signs OF decay-cracks and crevices In the Wa'is
i OF the great structure-and he knew thaI tu7
| foundations upon which II had been raised Ne''
not broad enough OF deep enough TO sustain -
| That his imaginative flight V'ne'
wise he spoke as cool observer and methouS''
business man. who believed that Great bri'A'"
and the colonies ought to take measures TOT
making both ends meet and for defending tas
! empire against foreign raiders.