The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-11
Averting a Crisis.

Averting a Crisis.
Premier Balfour, who was silent ON
Tuesday during the budget debate, which
raised a tumult in the house Of comm Mons,
disclosed serious division in the cabinet
and temporarily 'pilloried the colonial sec
rotary, made yesterday what is charac-
terized as the greatest speech of his
life." It was a pitiable retreat from his
speech OF May %, and was intended to
smooth over: the bad effects Of the split
in the cabinet. i
In his former speech Balfour positively
declared that he was in sympathy with
Chanberlain's preferential tariff scheme
Yesterday he committed himself to no pol
Icy, but contented himself with declaring
that such questions as foreign tariffs,
trusts and closer relations with the colo
MES confronted the nation. He dwelt
upon his position as premier and the head
Of a cabinet with two such antagonistic
members as the chancellor Of the ex-
chequer and the colonial secretary, and
pleaded the right of the premier to have
an open mind" when there was friction
In the cabinet, as was the case in some
Of Gladstone $ ministries. AS BaIfour can
not compel the ministers to be Of zone
mind" altho it is unfortunate for the
government, the cabinet will very prob
ably "ride to a fall"
Altho the proceedings in the British
commons this week would seem to give
color to the doctrine Of the British free
traders, that their policy is as firmly es-
tablished as the law Of gravitation, that
is delusive view. The creations of Cob
dens exuberant imagination occupied HIS
attention more than did the realities Of
the work-a-day world. He was the least
practical of English statesmen. His daz-
zling dream of world under the influ-
the practical necessities of the civilized
nations entering upon careers Of industrial
activity. The conviction that absolute
free trade is at the end of it's tether in
England has led a number of English
statesmen to champion "fair trade dur
basis of the theories of leading political
economists, from Adam Smith to John
Stuart Mill and Goodwin Smith, to the eff
feet that the only way a country can save
| itself from loss by hostile, uncompromis-
! ing foreign tariffs, is to impose CORE
berlain himself has abandoned his quon-
dam extreme free trade views, because he
is convinced that the financial and com
mercial exigencies Of England demand
some modification of the Manchester doc
trine. Since 1899 parliament has increased
the number Of dutiable articles from AZ
to 124. Note the tendency. Was the duty
laid on grain and flour in 1902 for .reve.
nue. only? The fact that the $1S, 00O, 00t
could have been more easily secured BY
raising the tax on beer or tobacco, refutes
the theory Of revenue only The Cham.
berlain idea is to retain the grain ant
flour duties against foreign nations ant
lower or remit them In favor Of the colo,
MES. The prosecution of this policy has
been arrested by the free trade ebu1litior
| in the house Of commons, the liberal part,
massing to force the issue OF protection
or free trade, and incidentally bringing
II i : ~
tout the conservative sticklers for FIRE,
trade. The phenomena" referred to b,
Premier Balfour yesterday will continue
to occupy. the attention of candid and in
telligent Englishmen, and they await solu
|tlon.
It would be rather to the advantage o
our own country to have England main
tain her present policy and remain GU
largest customer: but if she decides ulti
ln1ately to retreat from the Mancheste
tpolicy thru the pressure Of commercial am
Industrial necessity. we cannot blame hel
because she will be following the economi
policy which has long been our boas,
and which has in the past contributed $
largely to our material prosperity, takin
this nation to a point where-we may safet
" modify our dutiable schedules, tho TINA
j mot be fitted to England.
t New York dispatch to-day announce
Il