The Butte inter mountain., 1903-10-02
BALFOUR SAYS COBDENISM AND ITS
LATER PROTOTYPES HAVE
RUINED COMMERCE.
AT MERCY OF THE NATIONS
Premier Gives His Views OF the British
Fiscal Crisis, for Which He Sees
Only Palliative Now.

unprecedented attendance, attracted Dy
the unusually interesting political situation.
Nearly 1000 delegates we're present. The
Earl of Derby presided. The delegates
who were prepared to voice the opposition
TO preferential tariffs sat together and ap-
pearcd to be considerably in the minority.
An official resolution on the subject of
the fiscal controversy was moved by Sir
John T.. Dorington, M. p. The resolution
dealt solely with Premier Balfour's pro-
posals.
1t was agreed tnat no vote should be
taken OH the resolution until after Mr..
Balfours speech.
AT Sheffield last night in connection
with the conference OF National Union of
Conservative associations Premier Balfour
delivered the speech which has been long
heralded as the first heavy gun to be fired
in the fiscal reform campaign which is alb
sorbng the attention of the United King
dom, her colonies and, indeed, the whole
world, and which has caused the present
British cabinet crisis, the result Of which
it is impossible TO foretcll.
Mr.. Balfour in the course Of his speech
did not even hint at the successors in the
cabinet to Mr.. Chamberlain, Lord George
Hamilton and Mr. Ritchic. In fact, he
did not mention the ministerial resigna-
tons, ignoring altogether that phase Of
the situation OF which it was expected he
would make some declaration.
The premier confined himself strictly to
the tariff question and his speech was to
Il large extent a repetition of the argu-
ments contained in his recent pamphlet.
The meeting was held in the artillery
drill hall, the largest auditorium available.
Fully 5000 persons gathered in the hail
long before o'clock, the time at which
Mr.. Balfour was announced to speak, and
perhaps as many more who were unable
TO get in attended all overflow meeting in
Albert hall.
In addition thousands who could not be
accommodated at either meeting, stood
outside in the rain joining those inside
the halls in patriotic songs and cheering
the names OF party leaders.
Mr.. Balfour who was accompanied by
n number OF prominent men, including the
Duke OF Marlborough, Lord Hugh Cecil,
Winston Churchill, NJ. p; Viscount
Goschcn and +. w. Lowe NJ. p, chair
man OF the council Of the union and
others, entered the hall few minutes be-
fore the hour set for the reception.
Mr.. Balfour on rising at :o5 p. M. was
greeted with repeated rounds of cheers.
He began with the statement that as he knew
the audience wanted to hear his views on
fiscal reform, he would therefore deal
with that subject alone, not introducing
any alien themes.
What is it," the premier asked, that
has brought this topic into exceptional
prominence. There are those who would
attribute the Importance it has attained to
that great speech delivered by great man,
Mr.. Chamberlain in May last but some
thing more is required TO account for a
phenomenon unparalleled in the existence
Of any man ! am now addressing"
Mr.. Balfour attributed this prominence
TO the fact that the country was in closer
touch with the colonies as a result of the
late war and the reports of the ministers
in the colonies who had brought before
the empire the question of tariff reform.
Also because for long time prior to the
development of the present controversy
there had been great uneasiness among all
parties as to the condition of British trade.
Mr.. Chamberlain's speech would not
have had the effect it did if it had not
fallen upon prepared ground and il Can
ada's effort to give preference to the
mother country had not brought threats
| from at least one foreign country in retail
alton.
This has brought home to many
minds the helplessness of Great Britain
under such conditions to meet situation
| so dangerous.
The last few years. continued Mr.. Bal
four, has been filled with rcfutations of the
| prophecies made by the great tariff re-
formers. He believed the reformers of
r846 were necessary at that time, but
every year of the last 80 had contradicted
| the prophecies of the reformers.
The premier paid tribute to Golden,
who he said had an ideal but he could not
forsee the developments OF the last hall
century, which had made free trade an
empty name and a vain force.
For so years England, without making
sign, had watched the wall OF hostile
tariffs growing up and dividing nation
from nation.
"And our own colonies, Our own flesh
and blood, the very sinews of the growing
empire" proceeded Mr.. Balfour, "art
building up, one after another, system
of protection which, when it reaches its
logical conclusion, will make it as hard tc
export to them as to America or the othel
protective countries. And during thu
whole lifetime of those | am now address
ing, we have done nothing whatever tt
hinder state of things SO absolutely in
consistent with free trade as Golden un
derstood it.
II ought to make one exception; on,
great and successful effort was made b.
Golden himself when he negotiated ;
commercial treaty with France in 1858.
"When | consider that treaty | ask my
self whether Golden was indeed a Cob
denite.
Detailing the history Of this treaty, MI
Balfour contended that Golden and Glad
stone in negotiating it intended to offe
remission of taxes in return for whic
protectionist France was to make ccrtai
; trading concessions, and, failing thos
concessions, the taxes were to be re
; tanned"
, He continued 'I consider that ther
is absolutely no difference between retair
ing tax for diplomatic purposes whic
you would otherwise repeal and imposin
tnv xuh ici, otI SER