New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-19
WESTMINSTER GROUPS.
Only One Practical Politician Out
side Ireland Umonist Blunders.
London. Tehruaru

London. February z.
England Is taking its Parliament German
made. Ike other things. For the double party
system. which has come down from the times
Of the Wings and the Tories. has been substi-
tuted series OF groups IN opposition. such as
are known In the Relchstag. In the new Parlia-
ment the NationaIists. never more systematicaI-
ly and decisively led. reinforced by the Labor
group OF trade union delegates. for the third
and fourth parties natural allies and ara
likely 70 affiliate closely with each other on the
working principle that one good turn deserves
another. In place Of the united Conservative
Unionist party. which has been governing the
kingdom for long period. there win be three
groups. Backs. Forwards and HaIters. The
Backs the uncompromising Free Trade
Unionists. select group OF seven or eight men,
bers. who have been shouting since the wreck
age OF the elections that theirs is the only life
raft that will float. The Forwards are the hun
dred or more followers OF Mr.. Chamberlain. who
have faith IN their principles and are determined
to stand by them. II they are forced 10 form
party OF their own The Halters are the Bal
fourian tacticians, who have not known their
own minds on the tariff question. and have
lacked courage for committing themselves 10 de-
cisive action They have been indifferent to
free trade. condemning II with 1anguid cyni-
cism; they have been afraid of protection because
colonial preference based on insignificant food
tax seemed impracticable. and they have been
balancing phrases. pleading for time and play
ing for safety until there are now between thirty
and forty OF them IN shattered and helpless
minority Of 155 members IN opposition Against
these five groups the Liberal government has q
majority so large that It may become unuanage-
able and break up into fragments. Even IL the
Liberal-Labor members remain on the govern
ment benches. and the Wing landowners and
the large Industrial employers are not frightened
by proposals for the taxation Of site values and
the revision OF the law Of combination, there are
at least SIX well defined political groups In Par
lament This Is a fairly close approach to Ger
man made politics
Outsiders with critical minds who have been
watching the tariff reform movement and the
wrangling now In progress among the factions
of the discredited minority. find 1t hard to con-
vince themselves that there is more than ono
practical politician in Great Britain. am care
rul not to include Ireland in this survey for the
Nationalist must be conceded to be the clever
est and most capable politicians IN sight They
have definite policy and perfect discfpline take
what they can get IN the way Of legislation and
are not satisfied with anything less than Mr.
Gladstone was willing to give them, and they
nave mastered the art of securing their election
by caucus at a minimum cost and of ADAPTING
the procedure o. Parliament to their own con-
Venlence as obstructiOnistS. The NationalIsts
are good politicians. and so is Mr.. Herbert Glad
stone. who has been most adroft In rnakinz a
WORKING alliance between Liberalism and organ
lied labor, and In inducing the Prime Nfnfstsr
10 promise a revision OF the Tafr yaIa law
against trade unions. Perhaps he may turn
out to be too good q politician for his own sids
ior ehere Is already in the labor movement the
nF
eralism in future. but for the moment he Is
the successful organizer OF an Irresistible com
oination which has swept the Unionists out OF
power Apart from Mr.. Herbert Gladstone thers
ooes not seem to be any natural leader G. men
certainly neither Mr.. Balfour nor Mr. Chamber
IAN has been good politician during the tarirr
reform controversy nor In the present CRISIS a,
party fortunes
MT Balfour, when the tariff reform question
was raised by his colleague. had the opportuni-1y
OF repeating Sir Robert Peeps exploit. In taking
free Trade from Golden and carrying it out
after single reorganization of the Cabinet Full
conversion to the new policy was necassa-v tst,
We're to be adopted by the Unionist party: but
MT Balfour was neither a convinced adherent
nor an incorporating opponent He passed
tnree years in futile efforts to reconcile opposits
views and IN playing idly with a great issue:
and he justified his indecision by the plea thar
the party must be kept together and not wrecked
IN shallow water on the rocks before there WAS a
tide strong enough to float IL over Now thar tina
elections are ended the results OF irresoluts lead
ersh1p are witnessed Defeat has been over
Wheining when there were tactics and nlanoeu-
Vres without a clear fighting issue; and the de-
rnoralized forces divided into three shattered
fragments. all at war among themselves Ths
object for which Mr.. Balfour made every sacrf-
nce-the preservation OF party unity-has been
lost There are three embittered factions cryine,
out for change Of leadership the adoptton OF
tarin reform as a constructive policy and re-
version to Free Trade In this emergency. wban
powerful leadership IS needed for rallying the
disheartened party, Mr.. Balfour is without plan
OF action or clear line of his own Nobody knows
whether he Is a Protectionist OF a Free Trader
or whether ne has faith IN anything except dex-
terity IN balancing contradictory propositions
and refining ambiguous phrases. The brilliant
tactician in Parliament has been the most unsuc-
cessful politician OF his time. Equally estranged
from Tariff Reformers and Free Traders, he IS
forced In the end to lead faction or the other;
Tor the halfway house which has been his head
quarters during three years or campaigning has
been blown down by a Liberal hurricane and
cannot be rebuilt
Nor has Mr. Chamberlain been mora skUr,,I "a
a politician than his discomhted associate Hs
ehose the line OF greatest resistance when he
opened MS fiscal campaign with a proposal for
the taxation or food as basis for colonial preF-
erence- Apparently he took the ground that hs
would be honest with the country and blurt ont
the worst that was to be said against his policy
II IL couio stand the taxation OF food il would
put up with anything; and he would not MIN