The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-02
.BALF0UR
FIRES HIS
FIRST GUN.
Opens the Fiscal Reform
Campaign.
IMPORTANT SPEECH
MADE AT SHEFFIELD
Asks People to Give Freedom
Of Negotiation.
7- -------7---
NOT ANTICIPATING A
GENERAL TARIFF WAR
He Thought Any Foreign Country that
Was Treating Great Britain Unfairly
Might Be Informed that Re-
tallatory Policy Would
Be Adop-
NOT ANTICIPATING A
GENERAL TARIFF WAR
(By Associated Press.)

LONDON, October addressing
mass meeting at Sheffield tonight in con-
nection with the conference Of the Ma
tional Union of Conservative Associa-
tons. Premier Balfour delivered the
sreech which has been long heralded as
the first heavy gun to be fred In the
fiscal reform campaign. which Is absorb
Ing the attention OF the United Kingdom,
her colonies and indeed, the whole world.
and which has caused the present British
cabinet crisis, the result OF which 1t Is
impossible tn fnretell.
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.. Richie. In fact, he did
not mention the ministerial designations,
ignoring altogether that phase OF the sit
uation on which it was expected he would
make some declaration. The Premier
confined himself strictly to the tariff
question, and his speech was to a large
extent repetition OF the arguments con-,
tanned in his recent pamphlet
~, Eslplessn SIS.
Premier Balfour was greeted with re-
peated rounds Of cheers. He spoke of
the prominence the fiscal question had
gained anu dttTIDuleu II " tile CloSSt
touch with the colonies, gained as re-
sult Of the late war. He pointed ont
Great Brtain's helrlere-cs
ent conditions to meet foreign retalia-
ton, and said the fiscal relattlors W. T7
the colonies were inconsistent with free
trade principles. Mr.. Balfour continued:
Free trade is indeed an empty name,
and vain farce If 1t is fact that for
eign nations are setting themselves to d.
t,,il Oh. IL 1y,1a nn ma 1.
features and limit the international play
OF supply and demand. There has been
a development of which Golden and his
contemporaries never dreamed-the de-
velopment of the trust system, under pro-
lection. The phenomenon Is SO new that
/ dare scarce venture to prophesy what
development 1t is likely to take. but you
NAV be absolutely sure that In the alll-
ance of trusts and tariffs, there Is n
danger to the capital and enterprise of
this country, which acts and reacts. not
mainly upon the capitalists, for he is
at liberty to go to those regions where
his Industry will be looked after, but It
will fall with It's heaviest weight upon
the artisan and labor classes. which are
not capable of protecting their interests
against such calamity.
A PALLIATION.
"Now, IL have rightly described the
dangers and evils we suffer. you are en-.
titled to a statement whether know Of
cure. My answer will be disappointing.
know of no cure, but do know of a
palliation. The III has gone too far. You
will not get the great commercial nations
of the world to abandon protection. ]
fear that you will not get the great
self-governing colonies to retrace the
steps which we, without gemostrance,
permitted them to take. am here,
therefore, to recommend n palliation,
which believe to be still possible. Cob
den hoped for and believed In free trade
throughout the world. What, in fact, we
have got to deal with. Is world where