El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-18
TARIFF PLANK
DISRUPTING
UNIONISTS
Main Plank in English Party
Threatens Trouble in APP
preaching Elections.
NORTH OF ENGLAND
rs NOT SATISFIED

London, Eng, Jan 1S.-The Unionist
party again finds itself at skies and
| sevens over the main plank in its
platform tariff reform-or what would
| be known in America as tariff for
revenue.
When lord Lansdowne, who is slated
for the position of premier when the
Unionists return to power, threw over
board the policy enunciated by Arthur
BalfOur, when leader of the party, of
submitting the question to a referen-
( dunn OF the people before inaugurating
a tariff, and declared openly for a Gus
tom tariff on wheat, there was an out
cry from Lancashire and other manu-
featuring districts which gave the
Unionist leaders matters for thought.
a meeting OF the UniOniSt council was
hurriedly called and it was decided that
Bonar Law should in a speech at Ash
tOn-Under-Lyne, make an effort to
that the Unionists would not adopt
food taxes or in other words a tar
if on food stuffs until the colonies had
been consulted, and only then If the
colonies asked that an import tax
should be imposed on foreign products
so that their products would be given
preference
Laws Speech Makes Trouble.
Instead, however, of composing the
differences, Mr.. Laws speech, which
was delivered in the heart OF Industrial
Lancashire, and was an appeal to that
county and the industrial north gener-
ally, stirred up a hornets nest.
Throughout the country, and partic-
ularly in the manufacturing districts,
there are great many men, who, while
instinctiVely Unionist, in the elections
since 1906, or since the idea of Joseph
Chamberlain became the chief plank of
the party, have voted Liberal because of
their diStrust of certain aspects of the
tariff reform program These men were
to LQ1TF
of a referendum, as they felt reason
ably certain that when asked the
straight question the people would vote
for the retention of free trade, espe-
cially in food stuffs, and the effect was
seen in the last general election and in
subsequent bye elections when the
Liberal majOritieS were reduced.
These results encouraged some Of the
younger Unionists to declare that when
returned to power a tariff would be in
troduced without a referendum and the
effect was Immediately seen in the bye
elections at Bolton, which the Union
lists had hoped to win, but which went
against them In fact, England, or at
any rate the north of England, Scotland
and UniOniSt Ireland, have a long way
to go before they will accept the tariff
reform program in full-food taxes
and all.
Besides manufacturers and operatives
Of the north, there is a very strong
press, including the Times. the very in
pool Leeds and other manufacturing
towns against the tariff on food pro-
ducts.
Makes Good Political Thunder.
The whole makes a good election cry
for the Liberals, who ask why the col
onies, in whose fiscal policy the mother
country has no voice, should decide the
policy of the United Kingdom.
1t may, too, have a distinct bearing
on home rule, when that measure
reaches the house or lords 1t is said
that the Ulster peers and many of the
English Unionist lords, who were never
very energetic supporters Of Mr.. Cham
berlain's policy, are willing to throw
over tariff reform to save the union,
whereas many others are willing to car
~ home rule in some form or other,
hoping thereby to obtain another cleo
ton on tariff reform Some of Mr..
Chamberlain's followers have already
canVassed the possibility of letting the
home rule bill pass, believing that when
that is out of the way the government
will be willing to go to the country and
the road will be cleared for their pet
hobby.