New-York tribune., 1903-06-28

cordat and the principle OF the open mind on
fiscal policy TO the level of political farce, the
man of action revels in his liberty. The Cabinet
compact imposes no restrictions upon MI ChaHl-
berlain's activities. Indeed. the Duke OF Devon
shire and other colleagues remind MIN tnat 'ne
burden of proof rests upon him an opponent
of settled fiscal policies which have been IN sue
cessful operation for over half a century "hhe
the Prime Minister is meditating with phlIo-
sophie gravity upon the conditions of ponticai
chaos and Cabinet associates are cultivating an
open mind and hobrobbing with department. ex-
nerts and government supporters are anxlously
searching their own hearts and avoiding contact
with their constituencies, Mr.. chamberlain Is
free to agitate, and he is doing So II there were
q general election within the next month IIle
government would be defeated without doubt
for the ministers could not go before the country
with an open mind on the burning question OF
the day; but Mr.. Chamberlain would emerge
from, # in a better position than his colleagues
for he would be able to say that they mad not
allowed him to control their action on this
greatest Of all imperial questions. The open
mind compact meanwhile forestalls a prema-
ture appeaI to the country and enables him 10
present his case in detail to the middle ana
working classes With colleagues who are elther
neutrals or faint hearts. he has the great ad-
vantage of knowing what he wants and arguing
his case with a positiveness which comes from
personal conviction. He commands nearing
while his colleagues are silent and discreo1leu-
The political situation, I have been oe-
scrtbins It. is indeed, utterly incongruous and
unntelgible from the front Of the stage cues
are needed from those behind the scenes. ana
these are whispered only to the closest friends
of Mr. BaIfour and Mr.. Chamberlain If those
statesmen are rivals one Is the dupe or the
other and will inevitably be supplanted after
the downfall and dissolution OF the Uniohist
narty / am convinced that they are not rivals
but IoyaI friends and that they are working to-
gether hand in hand and will continue to do so
Each was astonished by the effect produced
by the Birmingham speech, in which the Colo
NAL Secretary's we'll known views respecting d
zollverein for the empire were reiterated In a
moderate and conservative spirit They were In
full accord on the general subject of fiscal re-
vision but neither had worked out the question:
in detail, and both considered it an issue OF
the early future They knew that the CABINET
was divided the subject, and that neither
the Unionist party the country was pre-
pared for a premature disclosure of a new ana
revolutionary fiscal policy They have been
loyaIly cooperating in desperate attempt to
keen the government in Office and to prevent
the destruction of the Unionist party The con-
cordat respecting government inquiry Is an
artificial arrangement for prolonging the HE OF
the Ministry another year and for gaining time
for a gradual conversion of the party TO the
new policies. If the present session can De
rounded out without defeat on the Irish Land
bill which has now reached a critical stage
there will be leisure for orderly exposition OF
Mr. Chamberlains proposals. and Mr. Balfour
will accept them and stand by them. reorganiz-
ing his Cabinet as was done by Sir Robert Peel
in the Corn law agitation He will remain
Prime Minister and Mr.. Cha amberlain will sup
port him. becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer-
This is a forecast which the closest friends OF
both statesmen make with equal confidence.
Naturally it is rejected with dertsion by LID
erals who cannot be convinced that Mr.. Bal
four is anything but a feeble dupe Of a stronger
will or that Mr.. Chamberlain is anything but
an intriguer with an Unsuitable ambition for the
Premiership. 1 am content myself with supply
ing Tribune readers with the best available
cue TO an unintelligible political situation ana
with emphasizing my own conviction that Mr.
Chamberlain is more deeply interested in the
triumph of his imperial policies than in his own
chances of ever becoming Prime Minister.