New-York tribune., 1909-09-12
ROSEBERY'S MESSAGE
A Toice Crying in the Huderness IN
UarRing.

London. September l.
| Lord Rossbery's appearance as an opponent =
Liberal sociaIistfc finance does not suFprlS0
either friends or enemies He had descriOeo '''0
budget as revolutionary, and was under oOHsa-
ttons IN enlarge his epigram into an argumenta-
tive discourse on the dangerous tendehcieS %
Radical politics He often procrastinates ana
sneaks when n is too late 20 give direction 10
public opiniOn but he never evades his resPoh-
sibilities sooner or later he was certain 70 tahe
the nation into his confidence and 20 explain MS
reasons for cOndemning the government Ihe'n-
ods Of enlarging the resources OF Free lrau7
finance so as 70 supply the millions required Tor
the navy and social reform. The Glasgow meet
ing has been timed adroitIy so as TO enaoie MT
Asquith TO reply to him at Birmingham ana 70
leave Mr. BaIfour in a position to welcome an
effective aIIv. Lord Rosebery is not wantonly
aggressive in attacking ministry cf which his
son-in-Iaw is a conspicuous member and over
which his personal friends Mr.. Asquith sir Ed
ward Grey and Mr.. Hadane exercise COM
manding influence. He has remained silent
while the country has been resounding with
budget oratory. But speak he will and must
when he strongly disapproves of a budget which
he considers socialiStic and ruinous TO nationai
interests His detachment from the parties OF
the day renders non-partisan background nee
essary but as soon as the list Of Glasgow mer-
chants and neutrals is completed he will ad-
dress them and record his protest against dem
ocratic finance.
have already In a cable letter described Lord
Rosebery as the natural representative Of the
Left Centre in British politics and the success
sor of the late Duke OF Devonshire as the apostle
OF moderation and common sense. The anal
ogies between the two statesmen are close.
Each had been a consistent Free Trader. a
Whiggish supporter Of moderate and conserva-
lively conducted reforms. opponent of Irish
Home Rule, broad-minded imperialist, an ad-
vocate Of measures for strengthening the House
Of Lords and a strenuous adversary Of intoler-
ance in the administration Of education and re-
ligiOus interests Neither a natural leader
Of men dexterOus manager of parties; each
was slow In making up his mind and cautious
and moderate in expressing opinions. and one
was as Indifferent as the other to personal ad-
vantage and political ambition. The late Duke
Of Devonshire was not an orator nor the pos
SCISSOR OF brilliant intellectual gifts but he had
national reputation for sobriety Of Judgment and
lucid intelligence and he had an English habit
OF speaking with downright candor and appeal
ing to reason and common sense. Lord Rose
berry, who is the most eloquent speaker in the
kingdom. and has personality OF unrivaIIed
charm. has taken up the same attitude Of aIoof-
ness from political camps and has come to rep
resent the same qualities of moderation, caution
the impatient impulses of the masses, but he
represents the thoughtful conservative middle
class, Of which Chatham In his time was the
champion.
The Left Centre has often been a STRONGHOLD
Of influence in France. where reforms have re
quired cautious and conciliatOry leadership In
England it has formed ordinarily a detached
group out OF touch with the two main parties
rhs Duke Of Devonshire and Mr. Chamberlain
syf ant 20
Rule; but IL was not until they allied themselves
definitely with the Conservative party that the
full weight of their influence was felt in con-
structive policies Lord Rosebery after leading
the Liberal party, will be an obstructionist, II
he remains at Left Centre: and there seems 10
be slight probability that he can ever identify,
hlrnseh with the Conservatives on the Right
The Duke Of Devonshire toward the end was a
solitary figure on the Unionist side. because he
was without faith In tariff reform. Lord
Hugh Cecil and few other Unionist Free TRAD
ers will have to fight desperately in order 10 re-
turn TO the Commons with Tory supnort or5
ROsebery.as a Free Trader OF an uncomnrovnis
ing type will not be at home among tariff re-
formers. They may welcome his condennatio,
OF the budget and commend his courage and
statesmahhke conservatism but they will know
that they cannot depend upon him to work with
mem on the lines of new TOryism. which will
De as dlstasteful TO him as the new radfcaIism
How can Left Centre protest be effsctf,-s
when there is a mad race between parties for
increasing national aFmaments and fntroductno
social reforms without thinking them ont or
counting the cost? What the Liberals will do
II they remain in power with or without a de-
cislVe defeat OF the Lords. is tolerabIv nIatr
Ihey nave already adopted in the deveIoDr,sr+
Dill the policy of enriching the country bv gov
ernment investments in forestry farming rural
transport drainage works and other measures
Tor making the nation more prosperous: and This
can be enlarged i'm many directions so lonr as
the money holds out. The Irish land hill nr
wong 1or the compulsory purchase of land for
''lsioh among penniless tenants and incorri
eio'e cattle raiders has been driven through COM
hlttee with little discussion and equally cos41,,
social reforms are proposed for England. Wales
ana scotland and are likely to be carried ON,
even if the Unionsts return to Dov,ar 7,Lo-I
may be different method of financing than,
by means Of revenue tariff but Tory dsr,o,
facy is already as free and lavish with prornises
as radlcallsm- A new era of wastefuI e1na,4i
lures TOT sem-socialistic objects seems tn have
opened and Unionists with their cs1de scheme
OF tarlr reform will be committed without ~
serve TO majority Of the measures advocates
ny Radical hotspurs like Mr. Lloyd-CSeorga ,,,1
Mr.. Churchill What van be acconnusba, =.
the most eloquent and persuasive appeaI F-oD,
'''ass'" IN raNor OF moderation. caution ana
sanity i" hauonal policies? Very little unless
all signs fail "esS
Aet LORD Rosebery is the statesman In sound
the warning and TO appeal to the conser,-.+ts-
which has carried England safely tbro,,,,, -
revolutionary crises He is disinterests5 a., -
motives are untainted with jealousy or resa,t
mehI he has carried off the CHIEF ,ri :,
puoHc me- and Is cOntented and baDDI, -