New-York tribune., 1906-12-31
A GREAT IMPERIALIST
Lord Miners 1H-Around Pollen for
Unionists.
London. December ID.


ton bin. and the Unienists disheartened ana
denoralized. Suddenly voice Is heard pro.
claiming consistent and definite party policy.
and Unionists are at once ,nvigorated II IL the
voice OF a distinguished fnancier and imperial-
ISL. and 1t has the note of authority and leader.
SNIP Lord Miner has described himself at VOL
'H'iip'on as a free lance. political Ishmasl.
i'e ana refugee in the Unionist camp because
ne would be denied hospitality by Liberals. al
'housh ne was originally in sympathy with them
anu mas retained active interest IN social
queSuons' a veteran OF the public service and
an outsider without pretensions 20 political lead
ersnip' ne has brought out OF the background
or the last general election series OF questions
"nlch ne considers of paramount Importance.
and when he has set them in order and con-
necteo them one with another there Is what tie
Unionists need-a homogeneous party policy
III Is not easy to make a summary of q great
speech IN single paragraph. Lord Miner has
ms point OF view as an impsralist. and his per-
specuve Is clear and far reaching. He starts
with universal military training because a na-
tfon In arms Is school of patriotism for the
maintenance and defence of an empire. He does
not want the German system of conscription
but in place of It regular military training for
all classes the threshold of manhood as an
essential part OF the education of citizenship,
and as the necessary requirement for the crsa-
tion sof a national reserve. He is tariff re-
former because there is a nation within an ern-
pire and, while Engishmen entitled TO think
first of themselves. they should think next of
their fellow citizens across the seas, and only
after them Of foreigners. He favors a moderate
all-around tariff on national. economic and reve-
nue. grounds. but chiefly because It will enable
England to enter into commercial union with
other parts of the empire by giving them, not
exemption from duties. but lower preferential
rates Moreover. he is deeply interested IN So
ciaI questions because he is an iInpertaIst and
believes in arn1ing the democracy with new re-
sources Of power. He has no sympathy for an
odous form Of socialism which attacks wealth
simply because 1t is wealth and lives or the cli-
tivation of class hatred; but he is drawn toward
a nobler socialism. which promotes the welIAFa
and efficiency of the mors backward sections &C
the community and IL state business OF tho
highest order; and he Is haunted with the con-
ception Of the peoI e OF the United Kingdom
a great family, bcuad by irdissolub!s .,ss to
kindred families II other Parts ~ the World
This is clearly expe 1s,ot Of what C. sc &c
he k-TTn as Tory Deroocra1y into what may es
loosely described as Imperial Denr---acy. Lord
M,lner wants every Engshs.e.y. 20 consider him
SELF q citizen of worldwide empire. to train
himself for It's defence and accept the r.spon-
sbiiity for raising the standards of labor and
individual efficiency. He stands not only for an
imperial coupar IN which the colonie7 shall Is
adequately represented, but also for commercial
union with them. and this cannot be brought
about without general tariff. He favors uni
versal military training. navy of increased
efficiency. national education OF more enlight-
ened and practical principles. and comprehensive
and sympathetic legislation social questions;
and. since these things viii cost great deal ot
money and the resources OF the present fiscal
system have been virtually exhausted. he falls
back upon moderate general tariff as reser.
voir which VIII yield almost fnsensibly enor-
Tnously increased revenue when there Is no
other available source of supply. On this ques-
ton Lord Milner speaks with all the authority
OF financial expert trained at Somerset House.
He behind Sir William Harcourt when the
famous budget dealing with death and estate
duties produced and his warning now that
a graduated income tax will prove a great dis
appointment from the revenue point Of view is
not TO be regarded heedessly. He describes fs
a new and less convenient method Of drawing
from the same source. and predicts that Il will
not Yield anything like much as the Harcours
system and that It will be more expensive, In
quisitorial and vexaticus. Realized wealth." he
says. sententiously. as not the inexhaustfnIe
milch COW that some people think" And hs
dismisses economy with the remark: Gwen Il
saving Will be all required for current needs"
More money must be had for the national purse,
and general tariff IS the only available method
OF getting It
Lord Mflner says nothing about import duties
food, but otherwise is in full agreement with
Mr.. Chamberlain and is more direct and prac-
ticaI IN his exposition OF the benefits of a mod
crate tariff, with certain classes Of raw material
excluded. He describes the Free Trade system,
as perneated with the idea that IT Is wicked
even indirectly, give advantage to the homo
and does not believe that the system can per-
ing method OF placing heavy duties few
articles and letting in everything else untaxed
involves fantastic and unequal distribution Of
burdens that is all In favor OF the welI-to-do.
He contends that what distinguishes the con-
sumption of the rich man from that OF the poor
man Is the vastly greater range and variety oe
the articles used by him. and that when a few
things taxed enormously 1T is really sort OF
graduation against poverty. A much lighter
duty spread over much larger number OF arti-
cles in q general tariff would obviously be. ac-
cording 10 his view. much fairer between rich
and poor since all would contribute. but much
more nearly I'm proportion to their own means.
This e a subtle and ingenious method of recon
cJlin.- he masses 10 Mr.. Chamberlains cause OF
tariff ,aform. with preferences for the empire.
Lord aTflners speech. on the whole. IS the rnoss
sagacious one which h..s been made against
Free Trade sir Cohden's time II re ives what
Liberals haze affected 20 regard lost cause
ans " lb!ishes ~ ri,-Rt 70 7e reeSoned es SIR.
s; 20. ~inin's Ir,ssr -apab5s IisflIerleT.t and bs