New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-09

AggressiUeness of Liverpool Speech
Against FoIlies Of Free Trade
London. Octobs- "a

recognized wherever he goes a character,v.t-
English trait and enthusiasts crowds a.
drawn together to witness his agility as
proves in bowling over his free trade au.a-.-
nIsts and In knocking out the foreigner. A,
Liverpool. as at Newcastle and Glasgow. tbs-.
has been no abatement OF hero worship. Tn.
protectionist champion has been received uLo
a conqueror In the most conservative city OF III.
United Kingdom; and. being IN his best aghtir,
form. he has appealed to the British instinct o.
conbativeness. Not content with Demonstrate,
anew that retaliation and preferential arrsnga.
ments with colonies were practical and nees..
sary measures OF national defence and tnus-.,
unity. he has thrown down the gauntlet % r.
shipping interest and TO the trade unions 70
two generations Liverpool has accepted Coods,,,
prfncfpIe that free trade was a steady W.
that filed every British sail on the high Seas.
and here was a statesman so audaciOus "a IA
remind its most enteTprising shippers that TIA
decadence Of Dutch manufactures had been H.
lowed by the decline Of Dutch shipping and p,
warn them that German commercs had grown
as the productive interests OF the Fatheriana
had been increased under protection. and tina.
British mercantile supremacy depended less u
on free importing than upon the promotion .,
British manufactures. The Trades Union Con.
gress had condemned his policy almost withous
a dissenting vote. because II involved taxation
Of imported food IN reply. he had the harsi.
hood to appeal from the congress to the working
classes themselves. and to prove that Golden
was the enemy OF organized labor. and that /.
was impossible to reconcile free trade with
trade unionism. Only free lance could recau,
the convictions Of a lifetime and take I'd sr-s
against free trade and organized labor. but By
sheer dexterity and fighting power Mr. Cham-
terlain commands the admiration Of his audi
ences. and Is acclaimed the greatest IN
perialist-
A good deal has happened during the last sir
months. but that is short period IN which 70
bring about complete Transformation Of tia
conditions OF pubic opinion IN 50 conservatiEs
a country as England. Mr.. Chamberlain Is ad-
vocating to-day the policies which old fashioned
protectionists like Mr.. Chaplin and 8Ir. LOwtasr
for a generation proclaimed 70 deaf ears; and
he Is carrying his audiences with him and max
ing a profound impression upon the country.
Each new speech which he delivers Is more az.
gressive and triumphant than the last and Ia
is cheered at Liverpool more heartily than az
Glasgow or Newcastle. Yet Liverpool Is barely
half an hour by train from Manchester. which
Golden confidently predicted would be identified
by historians as the birthplace and centre %
"the greatest moral movement since the inven-
ton OF printing Just as Jerusalem had been
with the origin Of Christian faith, or as Mecca
was in the eyes Of MahOmetans" Has not tha
Golden Club demonstrated in hundreds OF tracts
that the free trade argument began with TIA
empty stomach and ended with the full pocket!
and have not Lord Rosebe-y and his Liberal col
leagues emphatically declared that COodsnisn
saved England from starvation and rsToiutionl
1870 and created the wealth which enabled tha
weary Titan" to sustain the burdens OF en-
pire? Yet here is Mr.. Chamberlain receiving
rapturous applause when he proposes 70 tax
food without adding a farthing TO the cost o.
living, and affirms that the producer Is OF uors
Importance than the consumer, and that 70 buy
in the cheapest market Is not the sole duty q
men nor in the best interests Of the working
classes. Iconoclast as he Is. overthrowing ths
economic gods Of the nation and condemnins
free trade as WORKOUT superstition and species
of fetch worship. he is hailed in Lancashire. as
In Scotland and on the Tyne. as the Missioner
OF the Empire; and. like Golden himself be has
a living faith In the principles which he pro-
claims.
The argument which DIr. Chamberlain ad-
dresses 20 workingrnen is one that prOtectonists
have constantly used in America It IS summed
I'D in the word employment" workinsrnan
Is a producer as well as consumer and Il ne
has regular employment. then cheap food. better
wages and higher standard Of living VIII %
added Mr.. Chamberlain proposes to ncreass
the resources OF rernunerativs employment W
protecting the home market. by developing
trade with the colonies. and by obtaining lever
age through retaliation reciprocity nesota-
tons for forcing British manufactures INTO ror-
eign markets. While denying that his policy VII
add anything whatever to the living expenses u
working people. he denounces the alliance BE-
ar
den Club. He quotes Cob6ens tnvectve against
frateruizing with trade unions. "rounas1 UpoN
principles Of brutal tyranny and monop0S
and warns worIxingmen that every measure p
reform brought about by trade unionlsm . "
posed TO free trade. He contends with eunlo'A-
tive force that neither trade unionism nor 10
importing has anything 10 offer 70 worAihs Wv
pie equal in importance 20 constant anu -
munerattve employment; and that the "s--
a score OF reform measures involving sn0'.
hours. fair wages. factory Inspection anu -
bition Of sweating processes requires u.s.
lions upon the irnportations OF cheap soods "
which bread Is taken out OF the mouths OF 0''''
ish artisans.
Equally strenuous IS Mr.. Chamberlain Pc
that the shipping interests Of the CnlIsu N-o
dom require systematic defence and a ehaAs'
fiscal policy. by which the productive rssou'--
will be increased II present
restricted imports and neglect OF the eoons,
be maintained. he predicts that reciprocity W."
come 10 them from other quarters. and that %
empire will disappear and leave mot W'ae'
behind" He refers to the tremendous eAs-
sion Of German commerce. which has eonVSl.
Hamburg into the second port OF the wor'a' -
he warns EngIishmen that Holland has iai's -,
retain her mercantile and shipping trace =
her inability to develop her productive e@V'.-
In this way he closes his argument WIN ." a..
hurst OF tmpassionad eIoquence on the CO..