The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-06-12
PREMIER BALFOUR COMES TO
THE RESCUE OF HIS COLO.
NAL SECRETARY.
WITH A DEXTEROUS SPEECH
DIFFERENCES sMooTHEo OVER
WITHOUT COMMITTING THE
GOVERNMENT.


| over the differences in the cabinet, re.
p, lieved Colonial Secretary Chamber.
! lain of any necessity of resigning and
I for the moment averted a crisis which
threatened the Unionist party. This,
! Mr.. Balfour accomplished without
committing the government either to
protection or free trade, though the
effect of his speech will generally be
taken to mean that the tariff issue is
to be shelved for the present.
Henry Chaplin's amendment, which
! gave rise to the most interesting de-
bate of the present parliament, was
defeated by the overwhelming ma.
jority of 1876 votes, composed of
Unionists, Liberals and Irish mem.
bers. The minority, who supported
| Mr. Chaplin's amendment, were al.
most all followers of the government,
while many others of the Conserva-
tive party abstained from voting.
Replies to Taunts and Appeals.
1t was 1920 o'clock at night when
Premier Balfour sprang to his feet to
reply to the taunts of the opposition
and appeals from his own party.
For two days the house of commons
has rung with echoes of disSentions
within the cabinet and dissatisfaction
without.
The premier was loudly cheered. He
had scarcely begun to deal with Mr..
Chaplin's amendment before he was
interrupted with a hurricane of ap.
plause and ironical cheers at the en-.
try of Mr.. Chamberlain, who had been
absent hitherto throughout the even.
ing. The colonial secretary dropped
into his accustomed place. The house
was now packed with peers, members
of the house and spectators as it has
not been since the days of home rule
and they waited and listened in in.
tense expectation.
In a whimsical vein Mr. Balfour ex.
planned that the only reason that the
corn tax was put on was because the
government wanted money and the
only reason it was taken off was be-
cause the government wanted money
no longer.
Balfour Becomes Vehement.
REWRITING to the charges of vacilla-
ton made against him, the premier
took a tone of unusual vehemence. He
declared that he himself, though be-
lever in free trade, which statement
met with loud applause, did not re-
gard it as a fetish, and he had abso-
lutely an open mind regarding the
necessity for an alteration in a sys.
tenn which was founded to suit condi-
lions of fifty years ago. He refused
not only to make a statement of any
finality upon such an important ques-
ton, but he also refused to compel
his colleagues to confirm to a standard
of opinion upon which he, himself,
had an open mind. He admitted that
differences of opinion existed within
the cabinet, but these were not serious
enough to cause the resignation OF
any member.
Mr.. Balfour made an imprisoned
plea enforced by the precedents of
friction in Mr.. Gladstone's ministries,
for allowing the premier
To Retain an Open Mind
upon a question so difficult and so su.
perior to all party issues. The speaker
did not believe the country would ever
return to the old protective system,
and no tax on food was ever imposed
without the full assent Of the work.
ing classes.
uSy "SIS COullOulSu, HOWSNSIt
continued the premier, by three great
phenomena: Huge tariff walls against
the United Kingdom; the growth of
the trusts and the desire of the colo
MES for closer fiscal union with the
mother country. These factors could
not be ignored. He maintained that
the method Of starting a public dis.
cussion was the only way to deal with
these phenomena, though he did not
commit himself to Mr.. Chalnberlain's
more advanced programme. 1t would
be folly and rashness, he said, to in.
terfere with the great system which
had been in pperation fer so many
years without the most careful ex.
animation and without due regard
for history and
The Traditions of the Past,
while at the same time they could not
ignore those new problems which the
ever-changing face of industrial life
presented for decision and the action
of statesmen.
This non-committal speech, and ap.
peal with all the eloquence and mag.
netism which Mr.. Balfour Yields so
successfully, for an open mind not
only in the cabinet, but in the Union.
lists party, brought constant salvo
of cheers. Throughout, Mr.. Chamber.
lain sat beside the leader of the
house, beaming with satisfaction
Sir Henry mpbell-Bannerman, the
Liberal leader, briefly replied, appeal
ing for an opportunity for the house
to more fully discuss the issue raised.
The members of the house trooped
into the lobby to vote against G.
Henry Chaplins amendment, the gen.
eral comment being ~Balfour has
saved Chamberlain"
The colonial secretary, himself
jubilant, said: "Our friend the enemy
is nonplussed this time"
With the exception of some ire
concilable malcontents the Unionist
party is greatly relieved by the out
come of the debate, all the members
expressing gladness that the crisis was
passed, at the same time believing
that the same cabinet could not long
continue to embrace such opposition
on the fiscal policy of Great Britain
as Colonial Secretary Chamberlain and
Chancellor OF the Exchequer Richie.
Armstrong Knocks Out Martin.
Boston, June blob Armstrong
of New York put out Denver Ed"
Martin, with a left hand stomach
punch in the third round of twelve
round bout before the Tammany club.
The event was announced to be for
the colored heavyweight championship
OF the world.
Miss Sarah Mcmillan of Mankato has