THE UNIONIST LEADERSHIP.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.")
Stu,—Of the three possible successors to Mr. Balfour I per- sonally should have preferred Mr. Walter Long, but that is because I have the ill-luck to be an Irishman. I have also the ill-luck to be a convinced Free Trader—a doctrinaire Cobdenite, if it pleases anyone to call me so—and from that point of view also I should have preferred Mr. Long, because he is a Unionist first and a Tariff Reformer only second. If, however, Mr. Bonar Law is to be our leader, I am prepared to give him my allegiance fully and freely.
I hope he will take into account that there are undecided voters, numerous enough to turn the scale, who are per- suaded that Tariff Reform means dear food, and that be sill think twice before alienating the votes of that class. In other words, I hope he will keep Tariff Reform in the back- ground until the disruption of the kingdom shall have passed beyond the range of practical politics—for the near future at all events. But even if he decides to make Tariff Reform a principal "plank in his platform" I shall do my best to support him loyally. After all, a tax can be repealed, whereas a kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. My Cobdenite prejudices do not fail to warn me that Syndicates, and Trusts, and Combines will begin to grow up as soon as even a tax is laid on which seems to protect any industry, directly or indirectly. It does not require even Cobdenite prejudice—nothing but an open eye is needed to warn us that a kingdom so wholly dependent upon imported food is unwise if it taxes any food import. Nevertheless, even if Mr. Bonar Law decides to stand or fall by Tariff Reform, I shall give him my support, and shall do my best to persuade others to do likewise.
May I then take the liberty of again urging the advice I took upon myself to offer in my letter of the 11th, which advice, I am glad to see, has commended itself to my fellow- correspondent, "E.W."? Perhaps I should say, rather, that the suggestioa had occurred to him as well as to me. I have no desire to claim special wisdom for myself. Our suggestion, then, is that the Unionist Party should attack the Socialist policy of the Coalition Government, and in particular the Insurance Bill. I am glad that " E. W." is at one with me in regarding that measure as the weak point in the Coalition policy of se-called social reform. We Irish Unionists are too apt to think that Home Rule takes the same place in the mind g the English elector as it does in ours. I learned quite lately that aUnionist delegate to a Primrose League Habita- tion in a southern county of England had been instructed to criticise the Insurance Bill, and I was pleased as well as sur- prised. I hope that if the Unionist leader takes the line indicated by " E. W." he will lead the party to victory, and I hope also that our delegates may be successful in persuading the British electorate that they have been following in the matter so-called social reform guides who are either blind or
something worse.—I am, Sir, &C., SANS CHANGER.
Previous page
