Mr. Asquith, in his speech on Thursday, showed clearly how
intense is the dread of the Referendum felt by the Liberals. They do not want to hear the authentic voice of the people. Mr. Asquith met Mr. Balfour's very reasonable challenge to him, to do in regard to Home-rule what the Unionists had agreed to do in regard to Tariff Reform, with a flat refusal. Mr. Asquith will not allow the people to decide the question of Home-rule. That is the long and short of the matter, though of course Mr. Asquith, with his usual oratorical ability, did his best to conceal the weakness a his position by declaring that, as the Liberals hated the Referendum altogether, it was not reasonable to ask them to submit Home-rule to that device, and by a laboured attempt to prove that though the Referendum might do very well in other countries, it would not do here. He reminds us of the line in the " Biglow Papers"
"Liberty's the kind of thing that don't agree with niggers."
It is all very well for the will of the people to prevail in Switzerland, but it would never do in England.
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