Mr. Chamberlain's election address, issued on Monday, denounces the new
Administration as essentially a Home-rule and Little Englander Government. regards Home-rule, he would spare no efforts to defeat "the conspiracy of violence and treason" to which the Irish Nationalists are committed. In regard to Fiscal policy, Mr. Chamberlain expands his favourite maxim, "No Preference, no Empire," and emphasises the danger of letting the auspicious moment pass. He admits that any I preferential arrangement would probably include provision for a small tax on foreign corn, but "as both home and Colonial corn will be free and the Colonial supply is unlimited, it is certain that the price of bread will not be increased in the slightest degree." Retaliation was an integral part of the official policy of the party; indeed, the only differences were in regard to methods, and these, he believes, have been greatly exaggerated, and were "more a question of verbal distinction than of practical importance." For himself, he asserts that "our objects" could be fully attained by a moderate general tariff, scientifically adapted to existing conditions of trade, so as to secure the largest amount - of employment at fair wages for our own people, necessarily providing for the free admission of raw materials and articles which we do not make ourselves, but imposing a toll on the manufactures of the unfair foreign competitor. We do not, wish for a franker admission of the impracticable nature of the Tariff Reform proposals than is here given by their leading advocate. Mr. Chamberlain is still following that attractive will-o'-the-wisp tax which both keeps goods out and lets them in, and confers equal benefits on the unemployed and the taxpayer.
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