The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-10-02
PREMIER BaLFOUR'S SPEECH
LONG EXPECTED EXP0SITIoNON
 TARIRFREF0RM.
Great ThrOng Cheers References to Re- taIiaIion-peeIarss Free Trade an Empty Name and . Vain Farce Thinks Tax on Food, However, Would be Against Public Opinion.

Would be Against Public Opinion.
 Sheffield, England, Oct. 1.-The artill- cry drill hall in which Premier Balfour. made his tariff reform speech this even- ing was packed by an expectant au- dience long before o'clock, the hour at which MT. Balfour was announced to begin speaking. An overflow meeting in Albert hall was also crowded, while thousands who were unable to obtain seats at either meeting stood outside in the rain, Joining those inside the halls in patriotic songs and cheering the names of the party leaders
 MT. Balfour received an enthusiastic reception. He announced at the outset that he intended to confine his speech to tariff reform, which, he said, had come prominently to the front owing to the growing uneasiness among men of varied opinions. MT. Chamberlain's speech in May, he added, would not have produced the effect 1t did if 1t had not fallen on ground already prepared, and the threats against Canada for granting preference to Great Britain brought home the helplessness of this. country to deal with such situation. Tariff attacks would only be met by. tariff replies.
 This statement of the premier was greeted with prolonged cheering.
 Continuing MT. Balfour said that for fifty years England had watched in si- fence the building up of a wall of hos- tile tariffs against her. Even her col- .onies were building up a system of protection which, when it reached it's natural conclusion, would made it as hard for the United Kingdom to export goods to her colonies as to export goods to the United States and other protected countries.
 The premier said free trade was an empty name and a vain farce. Golden never dreamed of the modern trust sys-. tenn, built up under protection, which inflicted injury upon the capital and the workrnen of the United Kingdom For the present state of affairs Mir. Ralfour remarked, he did not known of cure. The evil had gone too far; but, he knew. of palliation.
 Tremendous cheering followed the premier's last statement
 A nation depriving itself of the power of bargaining MT. Balfour pointed out, could never make a good bargain. He. asked that the government from which, ever party 1t was drawn, be given free dom to negotiate. MT. Balfour did not think the country was ripe for the tax ation of food; but, the evils of food tax ation had been exaggerated beyond what reason and logic justified. He ad- vised the unionist party, as the best re- suit of his reflections, that to tax food would be against public opinion and not within the limits of practical politics. He had given the topic his best thoughts and he was firmly convinced that his policy harnonized with the best tradi- tions of the party, and, as leader of the party he meant to lead it.
 Concerning the question as to wheth- CT 1t was intended to reverse the yer dict of the great case of free trade vs. protection of 1846, MT. Balfour said his answer was that the controversy of 1S46 was of no, interest to the present gener- ation and was utterly inappropriate to 1908. He said:
 Our grandfathers fought the battle in view of the actual situation. ask the nation to-day to follow their exam pie and not be rnisled by rnusty debates. The second question is, Do you desire to reverse and alter the fundamental fiscal tradition which has prevailed for two generation?' My answer is, Yes, I do. Cloud applause.)
 MT. Balfour sat down amid loud and prolonged cheers. A vote of confidence in the ministers was adopted unani- mously. The premier afterwards ad- dressed the overflow meeting.