The Free-trade Unionists with courage sufficient to think of the
higher interests of the Empire rather than of their personal position proved in the division more numerous than was expected. Twenty-seven voted for Mr. Morley's amend- ment, while only nineteen abstained. Sir Michael Hicks Beach and several other Free-trade Unionists, or rather members of the Free-Food League, were, strange as it may seem, able to convince themselves that it was their duty, as Free-traders, to vote against Mr. Morley's amendment. The men who have made the sacrifice for Free-trade involved in voting against their party deserve the gratitude of the country, and will, we feel sure, receive it. If the Liberal central organisation is wise, it will surely now do every- thing in its power to prevent the twenty-seven Free-trade Unionists from being opposed by Free-trade Liberals. We admit that in some cases the Liberal Headquarters staff will find it difficult to stop local Liberal opposition to Free-trade Unionists; but these difficulties can, we believe, be surmounted if immediate and firm action is taken. If the Liberal leaders of both sections will have the courage to speak out plainly on the scandal of Free-traders who have sacrificed so much for the cause of Free-trade being opposed by Free-traders, we cannot doubt the result. Those who, though Free-traders, deliberately abstained from voting in support of Free-trade, and were not merely absent owing to illness or foreign travel, cannot, of course, expect the same treatment as that accorded to those who showed the reality of their convictions by their votes.
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