New-York tribune., 1909-05-14
THE CULTIVATION or CoBDENISM

The British budget of 1909 contains start
ling novelties and the Parliamentary debate
on it discloses no revolutionary inclinatons,
unless indeed. evolution he revolution Al
every step the inexorable progress of a
certain political evolution is made clear,
leading toward end which the authors
of it would probably have earnestly disclaimed.
The process began with Free Trade Whiggery,
passed into Liberalism. thence TO Radical Liber-
alism and has now reached stage which is
described by some as Social Radicalism and
by others as Radical Socialism though Of
course there many who maintain that it is
still pure Liberalism. At the same time there
has been a progressive transformation of policy
from the extreme of IGiSsCr fGiTc To n detailed
paternalism which would have startled Colbert
himself. and from taxation for the sake Of
government TO a system which Is regarded by
its critics as little short of government for the
sake OF taxation.
Cobdenism had its origin largely in a protest
against taxation. or against that which seemed
10 some TO be unnecessary and inequitable tax
alton. The principles were enunciated that
there should be no taxation for the protection
or the promotion of any trade or industry. that
every trade and industry should stand or fall
without government aid that government regu-
lation Of business should be reduced to a mini
mum. and that taxation should be for revenue
only and for a revenue kept at the lowest
figure consistent with an economical Iqisscr
fGire administration. To some of these prin-
cfples there is still adherence. which seems to
be earnest and even lmpassioned in proportion
as the abandonment Of others is complete IF
taxation for protection is still abiured taxation
for almost every other conceivable purpose is
multiplied. If IGfsser fGirG Is still maintained
toward industry and commerce. the reverse is
intensively applied TO other departments of life,
particularly 10 those social phases which have
in late years become paramount.
The dominant idea IN the framing Of the
present budget appears TO have been To find
as many objects of new or of increased taxa
ton as possible. Years ago finance ministers
often busted themselves with devising ways
and means for the remittance or the tightening
of taxation. Precisely the reverse Is now prac-
tised. and that is so because the ordinary rev
enues of the free trade system have proved
quite inadequate TO the demands of the sup
porters of that system and to the conditions
which have been created by ii. or which at least
exist under ii. Under free trade. men cannot
acquire competence for old age wherefore
a heavy tax must be levied for the payment
OF old age pensions. What will come next in
the social on socialist programme prudent finan-
ciers may dread TO contemplate Only the other
day more than one third of the House of Com
mons voted for n right 10 work bill. which
provided that local authorities must give work
AT standard wages 10 all who asked II, even
though there were no work which needed TO
be done.
The constantly and ominousiy increasing
volume of criticism of the governments policy
is directed not much against the purposes
for which taxation is levied however-though
some of these are condemned-as against the