New-York tribune., 1905-12-19
THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN.

Dissolution of Parliament is not yet an
nounced, but it is doubtless inevitable in the
near future. and already the campaign of the
hustings has begun and the issues upon which
the electors are to be asked to pass are being
developed As is customary in the United
Kingdom these last are less of personal
nature than is too often the case in America,
but are more purely matters Of political prin-
ciple and practice. 1t is pleasant to observe,
TOO that they pertain almost exclusively TO the
domestic politics of the kingdom and empire,
the new Foreign Minister having not long ago.
though before his accession TO Office, made it
quite plain that no material change of external
relations is in contemplation. Formerly it was
not so. but a change from Disraeli to Glad
stone or vice versa involved a radical change
in foreign policy. In late years the two great
parties seem TO have approached each other
In point of view of the world abroad. Lord
Salisbury did not materially change the policy
of Lord Rosebery. and Sir Edward Grey will
maintain with little alteration that of Lord
Lansdowne. II is indeed ausDicious for q
nation to present so constant a front to it's
neighbors, especially when that front is one of
friendship.
The campaign will evidently be fought out
not much on the ground of what has been
done that of what may be done here
after, and 1t appears increasingly probable that
do than on what the Liberals may do There
will no doubt, be some attempt by Conserva-
tives TO force the fighting along the old Home
Rule line, but it is not at all certain that it
will prove effective. The sending of the chief
Home Ruler Mr. Morley. to the India Office
the inclusion of several conspicuous non Home
Rule Liberals in the Cabinet, the emphatic
declarations of some Of these that there will be
no Home Rule bill introduced in the new Par
liam fbn nhC NIL nf ho fharo oIc
TO win clear majority without the Irish vote
the apparent lack of sympathy and co-opera-
ton between the Liberals and the Nationalists
and the conviction that the House OF Lords
would prove an insuperable barrier TO the en-
actment of a Home Rule bill, even if the Com
mons voted one, are all circumstances making
strongly to remove that issue from the field
On the other hand, the Liberals will prob
ably try TO put opposition TO tariff reform In
the first place, and in that they may succeed.
especially since a considerable part of the
Conservative party desires that very thing TO
be done. Mr.. Chamberlain is not the party
leader but he is the second in command and
he is second to none first rate fighting
man." Now. it is perfectly well known that
while his opposition to Irish separation has not
in the least abated he is far more intent upon
promoting tariff reform than upon burying Home
Rule. That his campaigning will be chiefly
almost entirely, on fiscal lines may be conf
IDENTIFY expected, and he is perhaps the most
effective popular campagner in the party. Nor
is there likely TO be any serious discord be-
tween him and his party chief upon that sub
ject. Mr. Bafour is not protectionlst, in our
sense of the term. But then neither is he Cob
denite. We do not know that he ever held the
doctrine of laisser fare. If he ever did, he
certainly abandoned it long ago. To his mind
neither protection nor free trade Is i'm
mutabe counsel of perfection. He takes the
view that a tariff system is a practical thing
which is 10 be practically adapted TO the needs
and interests Of the country, and that II ac-
cordingly is to be revised and modified from