Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1903-11-12
( PROJECTIONS HOUR.
IT is APPARENTLY AT HAND IN
GREAT BRITAIN.

Industry, Commerce and Political
uadicaI Change In the Fiscal sys-
tenn of the British Empire.
The battle for protection, prosperity
and the preservation of the British en-
pire has been brought to clearly de-
fined stage by the voluntary retirement
OF Joseph Chamberlain from his post
of secretary of state for the colonies.
Nir. Chamberlain quits the ministry
and becomes private citizen in order
that his open fight for protection may
free the government from embarrass-
nnnt, while at the same time enabling
him to carry on his warfare unshac-
klod by official ties. Some weeks ago
Nh Chamberlain said:
Unless the question of trade and
commerce is settled satisfactorily l for
one do not believe in the continuance
OF the British empire"
Holding this view, he could not well
rcmain identified with government
thoroughly committed to free trade
Gnl therefore hostile to his plan of
Y'viving British industry and knitting
luG2ther the British empire through
ibe adoption of some form of protec-
ton that would hold the home market
against the injurious competition of
protected countries, such as Germany
and the United States, while at the
same time providing for system of
preferential tariffs whereby the trade
of the colonies could be gained and
held by British manufacturers. In
this economic and political aspiration.
not yet developed into detailed plan
Of action, Mr.. Chamberlain had and
has the approval of Lord Balfour, the
premier. Balfour, like Chamberlain, is
fully convinced that protection is the
only path that leads to safety for
British industry, British commerce and
British political solidarity. These two
clear sighted statesmen were, however,
bitterly opposed by a majority of free
traders in the ministry, Cobdenites
who cling to the corpse of a dead and
discredited theory and refuse to recog-
niZe either the present causes of com
mercial decline or the, future dangers
which threaten the alienation of the
colonies.
Cbamberlain's resignation and its
flGttering acceptance by Balfour have
produced profound shock in the Unit
el Kingdom. The British people are
suddenly brought face to face with
the issue of protection versus free
trade. They had not expected the
crisis to come so soon. Most of them
had not expected it to come at all
From this time forward the fight is on.
Chamberlain has placed himself at the
head of the forces of protectionism.
The man and the hour have come to-
gethcr Already British thought is
stirred up as it has not been stirred
for nearly fifty years. The campaign
Of education has begun in earnest. The
columns of British newspapers are full
of protectionist plea and argument.
For example, the London Daily Tele-
graph contains Il series of articles.
ably aud forcibly written in which the
experiences of the United States ,un-
der the policy of protection are cited
to show the wonderful progress made
10y this country by reason of its early
adoption of the plan of stimulating its
own industries by tariffs designed to
restrict foreign competition.
AS the result of all this agitation and
spread Of knowledge and light the
British voter is going to know very
much more than lie ever knew before
about the policy, the principle and the
practical workings of protection. The
more ne knows about it the better he
will like it. 1t is a solved problem
in the United States. The process of
its solution in Great Britain is certain
10 be an interesting one There can
be but one outcome. Great Britain
viii adopt protection in some form.
She must.