New-York tribune., 1903-07-16
COCHRAN TO LIBERALS.
ADVOCATES FREE TRADE.
No attack on Chamberlain Tribute
to British Fiscal Pollen.
Especial to The New-York Tribune by French Cablel
lCnrrrarh.. 100. -.

Especial to The New-Tork Tribune by French Cable)
tCoTyrisht; 1908: BY The Tribune AssociatiOnl
London July 15.-Bourke Cochran has been
sharply criticised in England for making dis
turoing references to the future of Canada and
unpleasant remarks about the Boer war He
onered tull amends tonight by paying one OF
the most eloquent tributes ever heard To the
trlumphs Of British policy in establishing sound
monetary principles and in setting the world a
benevolent example of free trade His speech
AT the house dinner of the National Liberal Club
was heralded in advance as an attack on Mr.
Chamoerlains fiscal policies and there had
Deen protests in the press against the irnporta-
ton OF foreign eloquence into field of purely
domestic controversy. His critics could have
found little fault with the manner in which he
discussed the burning question OF the day Mr.
Chamberlain vas not mentioned. and there were
no contemptuous or offensive passages directed
against the government
He took up Cobdenism and the proposed re-
nunciation of free trade in an abstract way. and
made a speech which warmed the cookies of
every Liberal heart. Some Liberals present de-
clared that no more powerful speech had been
delivered in England since Cobden's time. Ger
tainly, its orthodoxy from the Manchester point
Of view could not be questioned for the phrases
were those which Golden and Bright employed
in their day. and were repeated with dogmatic
confidence, as though nothing had happened in
fifty years either in the United States or Ger
many to impair their force Such prosperity as
there is in those countries he dismissed in con-
ventional Golden Club style by asserting that
it would have been greatly exceeded under a
free trade system. He enforced this proposition
with the contention that Germany had prospered
because there had been free trade within the
empire, and that America had made remarkable
progress because there was unrestricted COM
merce among the States of the Union Chicago,
he said, steadily advancing from the bene-
fits of enlarged domestic trade. while New Yorlx
was falling behind account of the protective
tariff. instead of becoTsing the greatest city of
the world
Mr.. Cochran discussed in detail the causes of
national prosperity. the dependence of wages on
unrestricted exchange of commodities. the taxa
tion Of imported food. the inpracticabfity of
retaatory tariffs, and the destructive effects of
trusts and combinations and closed with a fer
vid tribute to the economic monetary policies
which had prevailed in England for the last
half century. His warning that English in
dustres would be handicapped by trusts if there
we're a reversion to protection was warmly APP
plauded. and his rejection of the idea that the
English people should unite the empire by being
unjust to themselves was equally we'll received
Lord Darlington presided at the dinner and Al
fred Emmott proposed Mr. Cockrans health IN
an inCisive speech.
Many Liberals at the close of the proceedings
expressed regret that the party could not have
/ the benefit of such brilliant OTatory and argu
| mentative force in its campaign against Mr.
/ Chamberlain. They might have consoled them
selves with the reflection that one of the most
prominent Irish-Americans had done what he
could TO direct and consolidate the Irish vote
in the United Kingdom in favor Of old fashioned
E,noIisb free trade l. y. F.