The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-10
Joseph Chamberlaln,s Retirement.

Joseph Chamberlains Retirement.
1t is announced that illness will compel
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN to remain in re-
tirement for the rest of the year. 1t is
generally believed that his public career
is over.
He leaves the UniOnist party in a worse
predicament thar the Liberal party was
placed in when he deserted Mr.. GLAD
STONE in June, 1885. 1t is probable that
the Liberal Premier could have with
stood at that time the detection Of
the Duke of DEvONsHIRR and other
Liberal Unionists, who had relatively
few votes behind them; what beat him
in the ensuing general election was
the opposition Of the Radical followers
OF Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN, who was then,
u he is still. all powerful in Birming-
ham and adjacent electoral divisions.
To the victories gained by the Union
lists in the general election OF 1885 and
in 1895 and 1909 Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN con-
tributed more than any three of his
colleagues in the Salisbury Cabinet; and
it was mainly due to his exertions in
NCioNANhCAiClNo "illNh lidu DttH lAlDCId d
eight years before that when Mr.. GLAD
TONE returned to power in 1892 it was
with a majority in the Commons much
too small to exert any moral pressure
upon the House Of Lords.
For twenty years his fellow UniOnists
felt that they needed Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN
and treated him with extraordinary def
erence. They feared him, however, and
the event was to show that the fear was
well grounded. Not a few of them held
him personally responsible for the costly
and humiliating war in South Africa,
but their party could have survived the
odium of a contest in which at last
Britain proved successful. What it could
not survive was the movement started
by Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN for the abandon
ment OF the principles Of Free Trade
and the substitution Of a protective
policy yelled under the pretext of effect
ing a closer union with the colonies.
That movement, which led to the crea-
ton of a Tariff Reform League and which
ultimately was to give its founder
ascendency in both the Liberal Unionist
and the Conservative organizations. pro-
voked the revolt of the Duke Of DEVON
SHIRE and Of many other eminent Union
lists who remained faithful to Free Trade,
and subjected the UniOnists in 1905 to a
worse defeat than they had ever inflicted
on their Liberal opponents.
Nobody disputes that Mr.. JOSEPH
CHAMBERLAIN is solely chargeable with
that defeat. Repeated tests had shown
that on the issue Of the Boer War or on
the issue of Home Rule, or on any other
issue except Free Trade, the British con-
stituencies had become overwhelmingly
anti-Liberal. Mr.. A. j. BALPoUR, the
former Premier, could not be accused Of
sharing the responsibility, for through
out the last Parliament and during the
electoral campaign OF 1905 he resOlutely
declined to accept Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN's
programme, and 1t was not until the first
session OF the present Parliament had
opened that he reluctantly subscribed to
it. That act Of submission on the part
OF the ex-Premier left Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN
incontestably the real leader of the
Unionist party. He had at last attained
the place of eminencc to gain which he
had successfully split the Liberals and
the Unionists asunder. He had over
thrown Mr.. GLADSTONE; he had sup
planted Mr.. BALFOUR.
He vas not fated, however, to eniov
the political leadership for which he had
striven so many years and to which he
had sacrificed so many principles and
so many friendships. By the irony of
fortune his health gave way at the very
moment when his latest rival was swept
from his path. Few and far between
were his appearances during the last
session Of the House Of Commons; and
when he did speak his physical weak
ness and shattered nerves were visible
TO all onlOokers. The will was there,
out the strength wal lacking; and he had
to let Mr.. BALPoUR, the whilOm superior
whom he had cOerced into becoming
his lieutenant, bear the brunt OF mar
shalling the Opposition in debate. Pos
sibly Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN may yet be
heard in Parliament. He may wish,
like CHATHAM. to die in harness. But
not often will his voice be raised. and
the day when il sinks into final silence
can hardly be far distant.
What will be the effect of Mr.. CHAM
BERLAIM's retirement from public lie