Undeterred by the exposure of his misrepresentations about the Duke
of Buccleuch, the Lord Advocate, Mr. Ure, M.P., has been industriously circulating misleading statements on the subject of old-age pensions. On five separate occasions last week he stated that the aged poor of this country were fearful of losing their pensions if there were a change of Government, and that he shared this apprehension. These statements were made, it should be added, after a specific public declaration from Mr. Balfour that no Govern- ment could, even if it would, interfere with these old-age pe..nsions. Mr. Balfour accordingly liberated his mind on the
subject of Mr. Ures methods at a luncheon of the Junior Constitutional Club on Tuesday. Mr. Balfour observed that he did not judge too harshly the expressions of an excited orator, but that his indignation was moved by "the frigid and calculated lie." Mr. Balfour said tied he knew of no condemnation too severe for such a crime, by which Mr. Ure had dishonoured his profession, his office, and the country in which he was born. Mr. Ure has defended himself by declaring that he had been mis- represented by the abridged reports of his speeches. He did not question the sincerity of his opponents ; what he did question was their ability to raise the necessary money by means of Tariff Reform. The'explanation is inadequate. Even on Mr. Ure's hypothesis of an empty Treasury, why assume that the Government would select for repudiation this par- ticular obligation ? No impartial witness can deny that Mr. Ure used expressions calculated to excite apprehension amongst old-age pensioners that they might lose their pensions if the Liberals were turned out. Mr. Balfour's censure was perhaps couched in somewhat too severe terms, but it was not unwarranted. For our own part, however, we think that Mr. Ure's conduct to the Duke of Buccleuch was far more discreditable.
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