The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1909.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 696, 22 December 1909, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1909.

TtfE BRITISH POLITICAL SITUATION +-. ■ Every week masses of English papers, overcharged with ficrco politics, come to intensify the teaching of the daily cable messages that the coming general election will be the most bitterly fought and tile most momentous of elections withiti the memory of all savo the very oldest pcoplo in tho Kingdom. It wiil be, in the most literal sense, the election of a lifetime; and it will probably turn out to be tho most important event, measured by the influence it will exert on the future of Britain, since the deposition of Chakles the First. From moro than one point of view it will almost certainly bo worthy of record aH ono of tho greatest incidents in all the hietory of-tho British Isles. Nobody will impute extravagance to this estimate who can realise that enormous engines of change and displacement will be wt at work by such a boukvertcment as the establishment of Protection 'or the dissolution of the Union. But only tho most profound studont of historical development can

measure with any rough accuracy the I extent of the work that : those great-en-, giries will do. Let us take a glance at the conflicting forces, that will be at work next month. The Government v stands for the Budget, tho destiructioa of the Peers' veto, and 'Free-trade, ; but Mit. Asquith has made it clear that a Liberal victory will mean also Women's Suffrage and Home Rule. The Unionist party is appealing to the country on a platform that is made up equally of Tariff Reform and opposition to the Budget. In tho meantime.: a strong movement is being made on behalf of the "Big Navy" party to capture votes for Tariff Reform. '- y

In this extraordinary welter of policies nothing is moro certain than that no majority in the now. Parliament will be able to v claim with certainty that it reflects the real feeling of the British people on any given issue. A Tariff Reform victory apparently cannot be' secured .without the co-operation, as Unionists, of the "Big Navy" party and the opponents of the land taxesand Home Rule. A Liberal majority can only be secured by the cooperation of the friends of Home Rule, ;the enemies of-the agricultural interests, and the opponents of naval expansion. The people who appear to hold the key of the position are the Unionist Freetraders—the people who follow the doctrines of such newspapers as the Spectator arid such statesmen, as the late Duke of Devonshire, Loed Crombe,' Lord Rosebery, and Lord Robert Cecil. Most of them believe . that the ;■ cause of i Freetrade is safe—a small Liberal majority would secure that, and a small Unionist majority would make a tariff impossible, since the Unionist Free-traders would probably ally with the Opposition to destroy any Protectionist movement. It is,; no' doubt, this: feeling of confidence, regarding the political prospects of Freetrade, that .explains the : readiness of. so ardent an advocate of Free-trade as-the Spectator to urge its public; to vote for the party of which Protection is the first plank.::' . ' •. '■ .-'■ • ; ■■,■ -,J< •■' .^:..■.'■.'■ The English elector is indeed x to be pitied just now. If he. is a Unionist Free-trader, ought he to support the Liberajs who will, sustain Free-trade,; or the Unioniste with whose general policy'he is in sympathy i:■ If he •;is : '. a'■ Liberal- Imperialist,. ought he to support the ernment,, which stands; , (though, rather doubtfully) for Liberalism, or the, Unionists who will;.guararitec.naval supremacy and who will cater for; what ,is deemed to be.colonial sentiment in; the matter of preferential tariffs? '.The. ; ;only people, indeed,: who will find voting a simple thing are thosewho believe in Homeßule, Free-trade, Socialism, a small Navy, Women's ; Suffrage, and a: mass, of; the other excellent or objectionable "things that have received an official benediction from the Liberal chiefs. Unfortunately,, the electorates will not weigh all the.is-, sues, ;and; vote., as:'the ..scale decides.'.: It was tho "Chinese slavery" cry■ : that ,de;cided the elections of 1906.. '*It may' be .one of a dozen things--that will "settle;.the deßtiny; of Britain:, next:-month.: Thou r sands of' vofes, and' many' seats, will be decided even; by such a grotesque'. consideration, as the chance, solemnly:■ .assorted by ':Lord Cawdor.. as '■ a certainty; that a Liberal victory, will mean a. Germanised Ireland and 'another f98 s ; with' Wilhelm vfor Bonaparte..'.' : Other thousands will: be. decideel by,: Lord Charles Beresford's' vaticinations. - .Seven ..-.Dials wili plunge ■the:herb "of '"■ Limehbuso, but Hodge will, be as} ready' i;o' :vote for the advantage of his' squire :;as for;the advantage of -'.the:-.partyi'that promises .a new Utopia, which .will; make 'all '/men equal and .happy; -\ .'So,far as the-overseas Empire is concerned, ' its chief concern will '.be: with the effect of the .election upon Britain's ■fiscal"policy.'• In; timo, perhaps, - : the pressure; of hei'.overEeae ;depondericies, upon which she will ' cbmo more and more to depend,' may -determine'her fiscal policy; but as yet the coK onies' are united in their determination to leave the 'Mother Country- as; free' a hand fiscally as ,they demand iiorV-them-Selves. :>'..'. . : ,;;-'i|:'v :„/;;/>:-.'..■:■ '■"'.^-■. : v ./.