Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-10-02
Premier Balfour Opens Cam
paign Which Holds Atten-
ton of Whole World
REFORM PROPHECIES REFuTED
Glowing Tribute Paid to Golden =
Principal and Only important Issue
of BaIfour's Speech, His Request for
Freedom of esotiations-offers No
Cure For Evils Suggests PaIiation.


ence of the National Union of Conserv-
alive associations. Premier Balfour de-
/ livered the speech which has been long
leralded as the first heavy gun to b.
fired in the fiscal reform campaign,
which is absorbing the attention of the
..-.-...--
United Kingdom. her colonies. and In
deed, the whole world, and which has
caused the present British cabinet cri :
sis. the result, of which 1t is i.npos-
sibe to foretell
Mr. Balfour In the course of his
speech did not mention ministerial
destinations combining himself strictly
to the tariff question. and his speech
was, to large extent. a repetition OF
the arguments contained in his recent
pamphlet.
What is it," the prer:e asked
that has brought this topic into ex-
ceptional prominence ~
Mr.. Balfour contributed this prom
inence TO the fact that the country was
In closer touch with the colonies as
a result of the late war and that rep
resentatives of the ministers in the
pire the question of tariff reform. Also
because for long time prior to the
development of the present contro-
versy, there had been great uneasiness
among all parties as to the condition of
British trade in relation to the trade of
the world. Mr.. Chamberlain speech
Of last May would not have had the
effect 1t did ii 1t had not fallen on pre-
pared ground. and if Canada's effort
to give preference to the mother coun-
try had not brought out threats from
at least one foreign country in retalia-
ton. This had brought home to many
minds the helrlessness of Great Britain
under such circumstances to meet a
situation so dangerous.
The last sixty days continued Mr..
Balfour, had been filled with refuta
tons of the prophesies made by the
great tariff reformers.
The premier paid tribute to Cob
den, Who he said, had an ideal, but
Golden did not see the development of
the last half century. which has made
free trade an empty name and vain
farce - fifty years England, with
out maN> -ign, had watched the
wall of hoss> IFS growing up and
dividing nations rro--l nation.
"And our own colonies, our own
flesh and blood, the very sinews of the
growing empire" proceeded Mr. Bal
four, ARE building up of vested inter-
ests one after another system OF pro-
lection which, when 1t reaches its log
ical conclusion, will make it as hard
to export to them as to America or
other protective countries. / confess
that when I hear criticisms upon the
American and German policy which
caused those great industrial notions
to accompany their marvellous COM
mercial expansion with protective du-
ties, which must have thrown a most
heavy burden upon the consumer, / feel
that they have a retort to which / at
least have no reply. They may we'll say
that, altho protectionist, they have es-
tablished permanent froee trade within
the limits of their own country, where
everything which can hamper produce
ton or limit the increase OF wealth,
has been abolished by their patriotism
and foresight and they may as Well
ask us whether we In the British en-
pire can point to a similar picture and
cludes those great self governing coll
onies which we are the great buttress-
es of our empire in the future.
Free trade is indeed an empty
name and a vain farce If 1t is a fact
that foreign nations are setting them
selves 10 divert our industries exclude
our manufacturers and limit the inter-
supply and demand. There
has been great development of which
Goblin and his contemporaries never
dreamed--the development of the trust
system under protection. The phenonl-
enon is so new that / dare scarce ven
ture to prophesy what development of
Is likely to take but you may be abb
sure that in the alliance Of
trusts and tariffs, there is a danger |
to the capital and enterprise OF this |
country which acts and reacts not /
merely upon the capitalist. for he Is a { I
liberty TO go TO those regions where
his industry will be looked after but
It will fall with its heaviest weight I
upon the artisans in the laboring
classes, who are incapable of protect T
Ing their interests against such a call /
amity.
Now If l have rightly described this
dangers and evils we suffer you are en-
titled to ask me whether l know of d
cure. My answer will be disappoint-
ng. know of no cure, but do know
Of pallation. The Ill has gone too
FAR. You will not get the great COM
nercial nations of the world to aban-
lon protection. l fear that you will not
get the great self-g governing colonies
% retrace the steps which we without
'emonstrance permitted them to take.
My fundamental and essential re-
uest to you tonight. to which the rest I
I my speech 10 subsidiary, and acciden-
al, is that the people of this country
hould give to its government that free
ON of negotiation of which we have
cen deprived not by force of circum-
tances, but by the pressure of foreign
overs, by something / can only de- )
cribe as our own pendantry, and self
onceit
In my judgement" continued the !
remier, sit is equally necessary that !
his country should have Its command I
those instruments OF negotiation for J
'hich l am pleading. The German
tates illustrate how fiscal union had
rovided and strengthened a fiscal po-
teal union, but as far as our colonies
re concerned we have been content to s
se fiscal divisions growing up which I
0 man OF sober Judgment can con- II
.mplate without disa,ket." T