The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-10-05
FIRST GUN FIRED FOR
FISCAL REFORM,
Balfour Declares That the Alliance of
the Combines and Tariffs in
Other Countries Threatens
the Ruin of British
Industries.

London. October l.--Addressing a mass
meeting at Sheffield tonight in connection
with the conference of the National
Union OF Conservative Associations, Pre-
mier Balfour delivered the speech which
has long been hcralded as the hrst heaSy
| gun to be fired in the flScal reform cain
), paign. which is absorbing the attention
of the United Kingdom, her colonies, ana,
indeed the whole world, and which mas
cause the present British cabinet crisis
the result of which it is impossible to
foretell.
Mr. Balfour. In the course of his speech,
did not even hint at the successors IN
the cabinet to Mr.. Chamberlain, LORD
George Hamilton and Mr. Rltche. III
fact he did not mention the ministerial
designations, ignoring altogether that
phase of the situation on which 1t was
expected he would make some declara-
ton. The premier confined himself strict
" to the tariff question and his speech
was to a large extent repetition OF the
arguments contained in his recent pam
phlet.
Great Britain Helpless.
Premier BalfOur was Sltcitu WIN -
peated round of cheers. lie spoke of the
prominence the fiscal question had gam
ed and attributed it to the closer touch
with the colonies gained as result Oh
the late war. He pointed out Great
Britain's helplessness under present con-
ditions to meet foreign retaliation and sad
the fiscal relations with the colonies were
| inconsistent with free trade prlnclpleS-
! Mr. Balfour continued:
Free trade is indeed an empty name
! and a vain farce if it is fact that Tor
| eign nations are setting themselves TO
divert our industries, exclude our manu-
features and limit the international pay
of supply and demand. There has been
a development of which Golden and his
contemporaries never dreamed-the deVei-
| opment of the trust system, under pro
lection. The phenomenon is so new that
] scarce venture to prophesy what de-
velopment it is likely to take, but you
may be absolutely sure that in the alb
ance of trusts and tariffs. there is
danger to the capital and enterprise OF
( this country which acts and reacts not
mainly upon the capitalist for he is at
liberty to 60 TO those regions where his
industry will be looked after but it will
fail with the heaviest weight upon the
artisan and the labor classes which are
not capable Of protecting their interests
! against such a calamity.
Knows of a Palliation.
Now nave fl8htIy described the
/ dangers and evils We suffer, you are en-
titled to ask me whether ! know of
cure Ny answer win be disappoint-
ing. l know of no cure, but l do know
of a paliaton. The ill has gone too far.
| You will not get the great commercial
! nations OF The world to abandon protec-
ton | tear that you wl not get the
| great solf-governing colonies to retrace
! slranr, permitted Them ia take ann
here therefore 70 recommend q nalli,-
tton when Relieve ~ NJ sftn nnssihl..
/ Cnhdrn nnned ana ,anrvad in fr1a mad.
/ throughout the world. What in fact we
have got 10 deal with is world where
/ international commercial relations are
! regulated entirely by treaty. 1t is COM
mon sense thai We, the greatest com
merciai nation, should come forward and
say. We want to arrange treaties with
You, but have nothing to give You,
| nothing 70 withhold from you. We
/ throw ourselves upon your mercy and
/ consideration Please remember how
| good we are TO your commerce. how we
! throw no impeachment in its way and
how we DO an we can Tor YOU and
making Your next treaty. daughter
My fundamental ana essential re-
| quest to yon today, to which the rest
of my speech IS subsidiary and acct
l
(I! snoula siaa 20 ~ 9"r{ hii ~, ma
h legD0 aan1.ivad hot 6v force If circi,m-
stances or or BY the pressure of foreign
powers, but by something l can only
: describe as our pedantry and self
concelt TIL,
la@"tlon u Hoo"S
The speaker DeileVed mat the evils
Of the taxation of food had been eXag-
.,arated hevond what reason and logic
5os can 10 ,h,,ab4 NJ o,,h7ia
JuSti' 9'''i ~ 49, tuo''0
opinion was not Eel ripe 4or inc 'aNa-
ton of food. therefore. as an adviser
of a great party. he was bound to tell
them plainly that it was outside the
limits Of practical politics lie was not
antiripating a general tariff war, but he
ihoueht we might inform any foreign
co,,1frv that we Thought was treating Us
Vim outrageous unfairness that unless
M ,,,nljfiFd their policy we should take
~ 80 ~, ,or+o{r
] tod XIV ham