The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-13
TARIFF IS
THE: ISSUE |''
Great Britain Fighting Again
n. an Old Economic Battle.
ISSUES GOING BACKWARD
Colonial Secretary Chamberlain Court
His own Destruction Politically by
Forcing Political Battle that
Promises Disaster. #
PROJECTION IN ENGLAND.

PROTECTION IN tnN 'ttl1tA4li-'
Cartwright, 1903, by Clarence s. Darrowo
LONDON, September 5.-Pelitical history
III Great Britain Is repeating Itself TO-DAY
n a most remarkable manner. TO READ
~. nolitlcnl articles in the ileWspa pers.J
iiat a., to the speeches In Parliament nhu
N p,,blio halls, and to tho conversation
of Engltshmen III public places, ono caf,
readily fancy that time has been moved
ba ck ward for fifty years, and that we are
living once moro in the days Of Golden
ana Bright. ,
~ notifies almost nothing Is discussed
and heard excepting the old issue between
protection and freq trade. The BRUSH
lingo and taxpayer have forgotten the
riory and cost OF the subjugatlon OF the
Bcers, The trades uniontst has almost
overlooked the Taft-Vale case, and evon
the socialist rests for moment IN MS
TRADE, against rent. interest ana proits,
and all turn back the inusty pages OF the
old political economies, and road once
more the stirring debates before 1850 for
arguments In favor Of protection or free
trade. .&. z.
EThe human animal Is certainly q very
remarkable species. One would have
thought that IL any nation could settle
any question, and then travel onward to
something new, certainly the question Of
RI
in Great Britain. Not only was this cues
ton fought out to q final lssue by the
greatest statesman that England ever
had, but for two generations Great Brit
hin has lived under free trade, and all
the commerce and industry Of the en-
pire have been built upon the theories Of
Adam Smith.
And yet, almost without warning, MT.
Chamberlain announces his policy. OF plac-
Ing tax on wheat, and almost In the
twlnkling Of an eye nll other Issues are
forgotten, and tho old fight Is on once
more.
Lit Is evident that another general cleo
tion Is not very far away, and 1t IS equally
evident that every other Issue Ia to be
put aside for the discussion Of this old
Iquestion once again.
t 1t is not easy to understand why Mr.
Cham berlain has committed himself
and his administration to " the policy
Of projections. All sorts Of 2reas ons can
be hoard ''That he wishes to avoid the
discussion Of the war that he wants
| TO brush aside the labor question" that
he seeks to take attention from the I'M
ncpular Education bill. These and many
| ether reasons are given by those who al.
ways believe that men,, especially political
men. act from other motives than the
ones that they profess. Mr. Chamberlain
and his friends claim that It Ia really
| q policy for the cementing OF the empire.
That the condition OF trade and commerce
and agriculture In Great Britain makes
i it necessary. That in spite Of gil their
| boasttng English manufacturers are very
screly pressed. English farmers are IN
despair, even English trade Is threatened:
I Whatever may have been the real rea-
1 sons, this policy was certainly avery
bold stroke not to saga very desperate
o'0, No CALL FOR PROTECTION.
r Amongst the people Of England there
was really no call for a protective pol
Icy; free trade was accepted as abso-
lutely final, and, whatever the Ills the
English people might suffer, no one
thought OF tracing them to the theory
OF her trade or Of resorting to any me-
deyal methods for their cure.
It is true that tho glowing prophecies
Of the doctrnaire free traders OF fllt5
years ago have proven to be only IDLE
dreams. The Utopia that they palnt &c
workingman, under the heneflcenee O.
cree trade, was cvory whit ms allurine
M the one which the socialist paint!
:. to-day. Rags and misery would dis
. nnnear, Hunger would be no more
Almshouses and jalls would tade away
! every Briton II they adopted the simple
maxim OF selling in the dearest mar
I ket and buying in the olea!peat-of re.
Moving trade, industry and commerc
5 from the control or regulation OF re,
t 81 Time me has proved the falsty Of all
: these prophecies. as It does OF mos
prophecies, political and religious, ane
the ngsh workman Is TO to-day d 1v as Poo POO,
Q and dependent AZ fifty years s. ngo. - =
: powerful ,os s lords. tho luxurious. wasteful
t,orh ty1 Enc1nn
: r now just as they we're half ce1 1sn,
! ago or five centuries ago-1ust as. .ne :;
}. we're in France. Just as they are u
y aner,cn-and tho ragged and the poe
8 nnd the wretched are here to-day q
/ they were then. 49,, r,o,,1,1,r,v
. SEEK a PANAcl1A FOR PoVnHt.hh. !.
Il Whatever may DO said ~ to tho me
# orv nf free trade, still as q remedy 2
[ even eve palliative for the Ills Of tho com