THE CONSERVATIVE SPLIT.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13364, 4 March 1909, Page 7

THE CONSERVATIVE SPLIT.

A PARTING OF TaiC WAYS.

FlMili-i'G-ODER.S DRUMMED OUT.

(FUO.M OClt O.VN COl'.:-.1 \<I>O.VDWT.) LU-NDuN, January 22.

Exactly the thing .\ iiiirii wua required to cement tiie rank., oi tlio Conservative party ugaiiiot c::e |)jtci.ut uovcrnuicnt. has occurred. Oa the lace of it there is a serious &plit amongst the I Unionists, but ie is simply tho surgical operation nect-ssary to the bculiug oi tin old wound. Whether it wi:l heal now is to bo soon. It took only two years of retirement to convince the Unionists ot the wisdom of ''going nap" on Fiscal Reform. Ever sirico tho great speech of Mr Jialfour at Birniingiiam, in November, I'JOT, it has been tho official policy of tho party. l'"or- more than a year tho resolutions passed then lay as a sort of dormant commission, until suddenly, on Monday, tho political world whs startled by tho announcement that a dark conspiracy, known as ''The Confederacy," •had banned certain members of the party, and that the Central Conserva- [ tive oflico would not support at tlie coming elections any candidate who did not unreservedly adopt the Birmingham Tariff Relorm policy. There was great excitement and ouito a flutter in tho dovecote. All parties began counting noses in the endeavour to discover what members on the Unionist side were likely to be affected. A great number had signified their adherence to tho .Birmingham policy shortly after it was enunciated. Others ■were cut-aml-ont free-fcoders. i'ive of these had already announced their intention of retiring at the end of the .Parliament. Four others do not irant to retire, and aro ready to stand again if their candidature is adopted by the local associations. Ono of them, Lord Robert Cecil, has been adopted by his association, East Marylebone, on this distinct understanding: -'That if Mr Balfour forms a Government after the next general election, and introduces a fiscal measure which Lord Robert is unable to support, Lord Robert will place his resignation in tho hands of tho executive, giving tho electors an opportunity of expressing their opinion on tho matter." Tho doubtful members of the party, not moro than a dozen all told, have been pilloried in the day alter day. Ono or two cried off, declaring tliafc they had already announced themsc-lvcs supporters of the policy, while others have defied the Confederacy to briny them into line. A writer in tho "National Review" J has already described tho political ninj chine known as t'he Confederacy, \ and its mode of working. It is said to J have considerable command of money. It "marks down any additional frocfnod "Unionists that may be brought to light. ,, "By an admirable system of scouts, any free-food movement in tho party ranks is at once reported to headquarters, and dealt with accordingly. In constituencies where tho Confederacy hes thus clcmd tho ground, tho Tariff Reform plant has sprunc tip and choked the Free Trrul-o weed." The Confederacy is a new feature of British polities. It is anonymous, secret, and it works in tho dark. Xo list of momfcr.; is published. ''Aβ political etiquette prevents a member of Parliament from speaking in a (free-food) colleague's constituency ngainst tho latter , s wishes, the Confederacy undertakes the trvsk." So far the names of the Confederates have only been guessed at, but the following list has not been aps-iilrvl. prd is probably correct :—-Lord Milner. Mr Bonar Law, Mr Chaplin, Mr Jesse Collings. Mr Pi';."» Pea.-c. Sir Gilbert Parker. Mr GouUiinu, Mr Stanloy 'Wilson. Earl Wintcrt-on. Cantiin Morri.son Bell, Mr Austrn Chamberlain. Mr Rowland Hunt, ivr Frederick BanI 1-ury. Mr L. J. Maxso (editor of the "Nsti.inal Review' , ), and Mr Ji. A. , Garvin. Mr Hr.ches. tlir> 1 aepiit of the Cc?\=vrvntivo pvty. , yesterday that ho w<n:'-.- not α-ivo-oS-eia". < 17f port to -ivy rar.c'id-nte who <*;r>cs i\ct .idont the rvMicv thus lai'.l t'otvn. Ac xhr same :imc. lv> has made- it n rule, in r.fcor-'.uifo c with t.ho- trn<L:ti -,n-> •-{ his office, mt to interfere* with t.he o?k>:co -of iiy t}:>- Ux-'il n=-?ooiatir.:i-=. tho;;alx if liis help be sought ]:<? vri\\ nnly recommend level supporters of Mr Balfour's Mr Porcival Hushes it;variabiy do-cs his to fester the independence '>f the k-ral n.-s-ooi.-itior..--.:

and the? p-.sro-ciations. cr>ii; r q: , .';>;i:!v. are wholly and entirely resj>onsil»!c for the events -.vhich luive hito'y come under public notice. Needless to say. the free-fooders are not goins to lie down under the ef-

CABLE NEWS.

j fort at ostracism ef lrliicli tliey hav^ ■U .n tk.tJo llie svbjec;. The" Kxerujmv C-inimjtiv- , of the Unionist Free 1 Ti.t'o Club met immediately and con- | s:tlert-<! tho iK v sition. If AViis resolvo: tl'.at every effort shouW ho iriado to support existing Unionist motiiiwrs of who may 1*- at!.irked lw tlie Confederacy, and that it be an !n?rr''CLion to tho Co'.n----j ii'.ittoe of the chib to take ;he uro-n- ---■ .j;<i".- steps t<3 carry this resolution into ; effr-cT.