New-York tribune., 1903-06-03
C0BDENISM ASSAILED.
lord Salisbgy's Position Restated
bg Mr. Chamberlain.
London. Nav %

lions Row existing between the United States
and England may he attributed mainly to his
sagacity in sacrificing diplomatic dialectics to
craftsmanship IL 1896. and In accepting arbitra-
ton il the first Venezuelan affair as d practical
measure for creating good feeling in the English
speaking world. He also the first great
FngIishu1an whose eyes were opened 10 the help
Iessness CT a free trade country when its own
colonies and the world were leagued against il.
While nations are negotiating to obtain each
others favor" he had said, none is anxious
about the favor OF Great Britain, because II has
stripped itself OF the arrnor and the weapons
with which the battle is TO be fought" Loyal
u TO the free trade cause" he had added, may
be noble and beautiful virtue. but IL Is not
busineSslilse. On these terms you will and you
&C. get nothing Many years before Mr. Cham
herlsin was Secretary Of State for the Colonies
and the advocate OF a zoIverein. or series Of
Preferential arrang gements Lord Salisbury, with
farsghted sagacIty, had forecast the revision OF
the British fiscal system on business principles
sr5 in the interests Of self-defence. Other na-
-ions made diplomatic bargains with one another
when they lowered their tariffs, and never sur
rendered their markets 10 foreigners without
b-aining compromising advantages. That was
business England gave away her markets TO
friend and foe alike. and had nothing TO offer
20 any country or colony except loyalty to the
Cobden cause. That might be beautiful senti-
.-.ent but il was not business.
Lord Salisbury in his famous Hastings speech
lad described England as unarmed and helpless
when foreign nations were fully protected and
armed 10 the teeth for commercial warfare. Mr.
Chamberlain, in his Birmingham speech has
shown how powerless the mother country is
when Germany seeks 10 punish Canada for her
loyalty II making preferential concessions
Without = general tariff England is not in Z
oositioa either 20 defend Canada by retaliation
against Germany or to encourage any colony
70 open its markets 70 British manufactures On
preferential terms. III Chamberlain has mere
y applied Lord salishury's reasoning TO the
relations between the mother country and tie
colonies and indirectly demonstrated the utility
Of e general tariff in working out imperial
federation. Ee has invited public discussion on
three general propositions: First, negotiation
with and retaliati IN against a foreign country
attempting reprisaIs against colonies; second
the adoption of preferential agreements for the
develcpment of trade with the colonies; and
third the resources which would be supplied by
fscal revision for dealing adequately with OLD
age pensions-one OF the foremost issues Of the
working classes. lie has not formulated any
definite scheme either of tariff revision or OF
ol6 age pensions. but is content with creating an
atmosphere for each project Either proposition
r-eSupposes z tariff high enough 70 be enectiVeiy
z
revenues from indirect taxation Otherwise
colonial trade could not be developed by pref
erences; retaIiatory measures could not be taken
against Germany. and the funds could not be
provided for old age pensions
Il is evident that Mr.. Chamberlain. Warneo
rv the futile results Of TWO conferences with
colonial Premiers. does not contemplate an I'M
pe-!al zollverein, but q series Of tentative ana
provisional arrangements with colonies For
his purpose he would find il ,essary 70 start
With q revenue tariff Oh food products, raw ma
4sriaI and rnanufa ctured goods. Having con-
st-ucted z tariff barri-~ hedge around the
United Kingdom he would be enabled 70 leave
gaps through which colonial produce might come
IA Naturally il must be ( substantial oarTle1-
hedge Of considerable height. and II Wouio
operate 10Y only as a practical measure Tor pro
noting colonial prosperity, but also incidentally
- g -r5+ecfsve screen for British industries
The agricultural interests Of British and Irlsh
farmers would inevitably be assisted by any
evsteu7 OF preferential trading with Canada IN
roodsturs: and ma auufa acturing industries can
hardly fail to benefit by any effective basis lor
--eraliarion against Germany. although tle COST
cf raw material viii be increased by revenue
tariff The defence Of the home market bN a
general tariff viii enable the British Govern
rnent 10 make reciprocity conventions with IoF-
eigz nations and 10 offer free entry to coohles
-- reducing their own schedules Of protective
duties England will sacrifice economic theories
rhich the world has rejected. but viii regain
-asources Of power for conducting industrial
-varfare with efficiency and for taking up M
-,7r57l federation on the business SIDE
The sraristicians are already al work with
their states and are computing in various ways
the financial results Of q complete reversal OF
lie free trade system. Excluding India, theE
estimate 1e that trade Of f4D1too.S'9 in foreign
;ruorts viii be sacrificed IN favor of 2 ,;o!onlal
import trade OF E1G00000oo, and they ask
,shether imperial federation even If it can De
brought bout IN the course Of time, viii ne
worth what il costs in shrinkage Of foreign traoe
md increased expenses OF n manufacturing ana
living Sponging their states clean they besin
..nevy Oh tie basis Of population, and inquire
rbA,bAr 100000 in the United hlngoonn
ought n BE- taxed for the benefit OF 2ouoo'"co
IN the colonies, even If citizenship IN the en-
rire be q supreme privilege and old age PEN
riors he an important policy for the encoNIds7-
roe-.+ Of thrift without involving the paupeFl%a-
rion of rhe working masses. The protectlonlsts
sn5 fai- traders have their counter oemoi4SlIa-
inns 70 The effect that agricultural depression
vrfl te dispelled by the resumption OF nluiec'
taxa15orl: that an ir.rnense acreage VIII revert
eror1 pasturage TO tillag@; that l2oor VIII ~
drawn OF from the towns TO the country anu
that wages viii rise IN factories and mines anu
that British control over the home narKet VIII
be regatrled and fair trade enforced Win ''0
United States. Germany, France and otileI co"---
tries TIN iraperialis1s also take up thelr l31H
bic and forecast the expansion OF the co-oiii11 1
import trade from E1o0.0Ooeoo TO 14'''o'o'oO0
sa6 tbe increase Of colonial subjects from
-iae a