The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-10
A Blow From Behind.

encountered a severe TeVoiso 5o'
In the debate upon the proposition or
Chancellor Of the Exchequer Richie, IN
his budget to remit the bread tax, which
has yielded S13, 100000 Of revenue TO the
government during the past fiscal year.
The debate naturally brought forward
Mr.. Chamberlain's proposition to retain
the tax and introduce preferential tarin
policy, on the theory that IT preference
Is given to imports for the benefit OF the
colonies, they would mitigate the severity
OF their hostile tariffs affecting England
and be brought into closer fiscal relations
and closer political union with the mother
country. The proposition was denounced
and repudiated by Chamberlain's own
unionist element of the conservative
party and by every member Of the gov
eminent who spoke upon the subject
Even Sir Michael Hicks-Beach. who, as
chancellor Of the excheQuer In 1907
brought in the budget embody1ne the
grain and flour duties e pence per hun
bred weight on grain and pence per
hundred weight on flour) nearly burst
blood vessel In denouncing his distin-
guished colleagues preferential trade
proposition, and Financial Secretary Ell
lot of the treasury made one Of the most
vitriolic speeches Of the tumultuary &C.
casion The liberals were a unit against
Chamberlain. justifying Lord Roseberys
statement two years ago. that for good
or evil the liberal party Is bound to free
trade"
Chamberlain is said to have paled under
the reverse, but he Is not the man to
sulk In his tent. But a few days ago
he was declared by the conservative press
to be the "strong man Of the cabinet"
To-day the "strong man" is scourged
with the lash of vitriolic rhetoric, because
he proposes to retain a tax which Chan
cellor of the Exchequer Rltchie, in a
speech made on April 8, declared was not
a protective tax and had been in force
way back in the days Of free trade for
some years, as it had. Two weeks after
that declaration Richie proposed in his
budget to remit that tax.
g The debate of yesterday, which Is con-
ttinued to-day, would seem to demonstrate
that the majority Of Englishmen are so
worshipful Of old shibboleths that they
are ready to cruelty one Of the brightest
and most rational and efficient statesmen
England has produced. But Chamberlain
is not a man to be shunted off into OBJ
security He was little premature in
getting the premier. Mr.. Balfour, to bring
the proposal made In his Birmingham
speecI into the commons as a government
policy and the result yesterday, is re-
pudiation by every member Of the gov
eminent who spoke, suggests that he had
not canvassed the views Of his colleagues.
The situation is somewhat perplexing.
The cabinet itself has practically repudi-
ated the premier's economic proposition
of May 80. On a vote Of the house upon
bread tax clause Of the budget, it is pre-
sumable that Ritchie's proposal to remit
will carry. AS the cabinet has not com
mitted itself to the Balfour- Chamberlain
proposition, but has shown itself to be at
loggerheads, there will be no dissolution,
Dut the two gentlemen who have publicly
committed themselves to it may be sensi-
1--we Enough 10 resign ana seek V1nd1cat1On
at the polls, or, Chamberlain may drop the
subject until a more convenient oppor-
9tunity occurs. just as the imperial Gus
toms union has ben temporarily dropped
There Is little doubt, however, that Bal
four has shown himself so weak states
man generally, and is in such disfavor
with his colleagues that he will resign and
a reconstruction Of the cabinet may be
had without a dissolution. The cabinet is
unwieldly by reason Of it's size, there be-
ing nineteen members. Chamberlain has
met with bacsset and a severe jolt tc
his supposed great influence in politics bu,
he Is as astute In opportunism as Gam
beta, and his injuries are only temporary,