The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-18
Agrees WIFI. NO COLLEAGUES.

81 a. ga-
! IF, as I believe, you share these
views, it seems to me that you will
! be absolutely justified in. adopting them
as the policy of your government. al
{ though it will necessarily involve some
1 changes in it's constitution As secre-
tary for the colonies during the last
| eight years / have been in a special
sense the representative of the policy
! of closer union which I firmly be-
| lieve to be equally necessary in the
| interests of the colonies and ourselves.
/ L believe it is possible today and may
! be impossible tomorrow to. make ar
rangementS for such a union I have
| had uneXampled opportunities of
watching events and appreciating the
feelings of our kinsmen beyond the
| seas. -
II stand, therefore, in different
position to any of my Fcolleag CUES, and
| l think that should Justly be blamed
IL 1 remained in office and thus form
| ally accepted the exclusion from my
political programme Of so important a
part thereof. s3f
The Outside Preferred.
81 think that with absolute loyalty
| to your government and with no fear
of embarrassing it insany way, l can
! best promote the cause l have at heart
! from the outside, andFI cannot but hope
| that in a perfectly Independent posi-
! ton my arguments may be received
| with less prejudice than would attach
to those of a party header.
Accordingly 1 would suggest that
you limit the present policy of the
| government to an assertion of our
freedom in the case of all commercial
relations with foreign countries, and
that you should agree to my rendering
my resignation of my present office to
his majesty and devoting myself to the
work of explaining and popularizing
these principles of imperial union
which experience has convinced me are
essential to our future welfare and
prosperity.
Yours very sincerely,
Joseph Chamberlain"
The first portion of this letter refers
to Mr. Chamberlain's first speech on
the subject at Birmingham, and Mr..
Balfour's reply to the corn tax deDu-
tation. Mr.. Chamberlain says that
neither of them was intended to pro-
woke a purely party controversy. He
points out the unyielding opposition
of the Liberal party which secuted
the idea that system generally ac-
cepted in 1846 could possibly require
modification in 1903. Meanwhile the
advocates of the reconsideration were
at great disadvantage, owing to the
admitted differences OF opinion inside
the party. The political organization
of the party was paralyzed.
Mr.. Chamberlain declares that an
INSCRIPTIONS use has been made of the
old cry of the '"dear loaf" and that Sc
rious prejudice has BEEN created. In
the rest of the letter hei goes over the
same ground regarding protection as
did Balfours in his recent statement.
Balfour to Chamberlain.
Mr.. Balfour, in a uletter to Mr..
Chamberlain, dated Sept. 16, explains
that he did not reply earlier because
he knew he would have soon an OPP
portunity of taking ovepthe important
issues with which the letter deals.
Therefore, this reply rather embodies
the results of our converse tons than
adds anything new bts them" Mr..
Balfour continues: ii 80 en-. ,ss.s-.
Agreeing. as 1 dotewith you, that
the time has come swhen change
should be made in they fiscal canons
by which We bound ourselves in our
commercial dealings with other gov
ernments. it seems paradoxical, in
deed, that you should leave the cab
met at the same time that others of
my colleagues are LEAKING it who dis
agree on the very point with us both.
Yet l cannot but admit that there is
some force in your arguments in sup