Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-09-19
49,
SATURDAY EVENING. SEPT. -.
THE ENGLISH CRISIS.

Nothing less than the breaking LID
of The Conservative party seems 10 be
the promise Of the present crisis In
English affairs. which resulted ii the
resignation Of Colonial Secretary
Chamberlain and Two other cabinet
ministers. Almost beyond question,
an appeal to the public will soon he
made. and Tho Optic has m~isjudged
the feeling Of the great a Of Brit
ish voters. II they are ready 10 sup
port measures aimed To put an end TO
the free trade that has existed since
the times Of Peel and Golden. Ger.
tainly, the voters will not follow the
lead OF Chamberlain. who In order 20
promote an Imperial Zollverein Is
willing 70 levy 4 tax upon food stuffs.
Premier Balfour believes also that
the time has come when tariffs should
be levied but he proposes 10 tax for.
eign manufacturers alone. not primar-
lily for the solidincatlon OF the en-
pire but chiefly to retaliate on other
countries which erect tariff walls
against Great britain. This difference
In policy between the leaders points
to the downfall, II not the entire dis
ruption or the Conservative party,
and the abandonment of any slight
hope the party may have had OF being
returned 10 power on a tariff issue.
When Chamberlain seeded from
the Liberal party and led the hosts Of
the Liberal. Unionists into the Conser.
vative camp. there was worldwide In.
terest. The issues were momentuous.
But today England Is faced by a gray.
or crisis. The preservation Of her
vast empire is In the balance. Cham.
berlain and his supporters do not hes
itaie 70 claim that unless preferential
trade relations are given TO the colo
MES. the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of tho EN-.
pire will be the result. nut that the
British workman Is likely to submit
to . tar upon bread ever TO preserve
the identity Of the vast British do
main Ii not TO believed.
In order to understand the present
crisis fully II will be necessary to go
back to the days OF the repeal OF the
ommon laws. Then British bread
was taxed. Golden carried on such a
campaign 81 to crush all opposition
England declared first for the repeal
OF the duties which made bread dear.
and soon afterwards for complete free
trade.
Even at that early date the English
machinery did the work Of not less
than 5000. 900 9 Then the mar
kets OF the world were open tq,Great
Britain's manufacturers, but II was
necessary for her 10 secure nearly ali
her raw materials abroad. Alfstari6sa
were abolished and England. under
the free trade policy continued To
grow great.
Nov conditions have changed G>r \
many and the United States are ~
porting large quantities OF manufac.
tured goods to England. But the
markets Of Germany and the United
States are practically closed ID Eng.
fish manufacturers. II Is with IN
~crcasing dificnlty that the factories
Of the tight little Isle arc able to sell
their products abroad. II Is 10 better
this condition, that far seeing leaders
advocate tarin regulations. hut even
the leaders disagree and The people
are not ready for the step. To us Il
appears that there is more OF prom
Use 10 The policy Or Baifour than III
that Of Chamberlain,
As wa have already said Chamber.
lain advocates the adoption OF a pro
t%ectionist policy that will bind the n
plated colonies more closely 70 the
mother country. The Chamberlain
policy involves a duty on foreign
foodstuffs that is practically prohib-
tive. But such material from the col
onies will be admitted free.
Thus II is hoped TO encourage the
seas possessions Of the king
dom. especially Canada. 10 raise The
food supply OF the teemins millions
Of the mother country. This must In
evitabIy raise the prIce OF bread. |