Liberalism And Socialism.docx

Liberalism And Socialism.docx

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LiberalismAndSocialism

LiberalismAndSocialism

May4,1908.KinnairdHall,Dundee

ThisspeechdeservesparticularattentionforitwasmadeduringanimportantperiodofChurchill'scareerandreflectshistransitionfromconcentrationonforeignaffairstosocialproblems.—RRJ

Thisisagreatmeeting-[hear,hear]-anditaugurswellforourcause.[Applause.]Iamverysorrythatthereisnomoreroominthehall,becauseIhaveseenoutsideagreatmanygentlemen-[aVoice-"Whydidyounotkeepthewomenout?

"]-whoareelectors,andwhoearnestlydesiredtobepresent,butIthinkthegreatgatheringwhichisassembledhere,whichfillsthisspaciousbuilding,isasignthattheLiberalcausehasbehinditthedrivingpowerthatisnecessaryforvictory.[Applause.]And,gentlemen,thiselectionisoneofspecialandpeculiarimportance.Wemeettogethertotakeadecisionwhichwillbejudgedbythewholecountry.[Applause.]Youwillhavemanyvotestocastinyourlives,butIthinkitisnoexaggerationtosaythatthevotewhichyouwillcastonSaturdaywillbeprobablythemostimportantvotewhichascitizensofDundeeyouwillhavetorecord.[Hear,hear.]Don'tletitbewasted.Don'tletitbemisapplied.[Hear,hear.]LetitgotosupportthegoodoldcauseandstrengthenthehandsoftheGovernmentnowdoinggoodwork.Letitbeasolidvoteavotewhichmakesitseffectfelt,notonlyonthepoliticsofthedaybutonthewholepoliticsofthisislandinwhichwelivefortheyearortwoyearstocome.

AnewGovernmenthascomeintobeingunderaPrimeMinsterwho,likehispredecessorwhoselossweallprofoundlydeplore,andwhosemanyvirtuesallpartieshavejoinedtocelebrate-anewPrimeMinisterhascomeintopower,tiedtoScotlandbystrongandintimatebonds.Givehimafairchance.[Hear,hear.]GivetheGovernmentwhichhehasbroughtintobeingtheopportunityofhandlingthegreatmachineryofState.Beassuredthat,ifyoudo,theywillemployitforthegreatestgoodofthegreatestnumber.IamwellsatisfiedatwhathastakenplaceinthelastfourorfivedayssinceIhavebeeninDundee.Iseeagreatconcentrationofforcesthroughouttheconstituency.Iseetheopportunityofretrieving,andmorethanretrieving,theinjurywhichhasbeendonetothecauseofprogressandreformbyelectionsinotherpartsofourland.[Applause.]

Ah,but,gentlemen,averysadthinghashappened;anawfulthinghashappened-[aVoice-"Ringingthebell"]-theLiberalpartyhasgoneinforHomeRule.[Laughter.]The"Scotsman"isshocked,the"Times"isspeechless,andtakesthreecolumnstoexpressitsspeechlessnessin;the"Spectator,"thatstaidoldweekly,haswobbledbacktowhereitnevershouldhavewobbledfrom[applauseandlaughter]?

theUlsterUnionistsdeclarethattheGovernmenthasforfeitedalltheconfidencethattheyneverhadinit-[laughter]-andthousandsofpeoplewhoneverunderanycircumstancesvotedLiberalbeforearesayingthatundernocircumstanceswilltheyevervoteLiberalagain.AndIamsupposedtoberesponsibleforthisrevolutioninourpolicy.

Why,gentlemen,thestatementsIhavemadeontheIrishquestionarethelogicalandinevitableconclusionoftheresolutionwhichwaspassedbytheHouseofCommons,inwhicheverymemberoftheGovernmentvoted,whichwascarriedbyanenormousmajority-morethan200-amonthorfiveweeksago-aresolutionwhich,afterexplainingtheplainandlamentableevilswhichcanbetracedtotheexistingsystemofgovernmentinIreland,affirmedthattheremedyfortheseevilswouldbefoundinarepresentativebodywithanExecutiveresponsibletoit,subjecttoThesupremeauthorityoftheImperialParliament[Cheers.]TheIrishquestionatthepresenttimeoccupiesavastlydifferentpositiontowhatitdidintheyear1886.Eversince1880theattentionofParliamenthasbeendevotedconstantlytoIreland,andtheattentionofParliament,whendevotedconstantlytooneobject,israrelyfruitless.The25or26yearsthathavepassedhaveseengreatchangesinIreland,andIthinkthattimehaslargelyvindicatedtheactionwhichMr.Gladstonetookin1886.[Cheers.]Wehaveseenagreatschemeoflocalgovernment,whichLordSalisburysaidwouldbemoredisastrousthanHomeRuleitself,actuallyputintoforce.WehaveseenthelandpolicyinIreland,theschemeoflandpurchasewhichintheyear1886didmoretoinjuretheHomeRuleBillthananythingelse-wehaveseenthatpolicyactuallycarried,nottoacompleteconclusion,butcarriedintopracticaleffectbyaUnionistAdministration.

Thesearegreatevents,andtheirconsequences,Ithink,oughttoencourageustomoveforward-[hear,hear]nottoleadustomoveback.TheyhaveproducedresultsinIrelandwhicharegoodandbeneficentresults,andtheIrishquestionnolongerpresentsitselfinthetragicguiseoftheearlyeighties.TheyhaveproducedaneffectonEnglandtoo.AlloverourcountrypeoplehaveseenBillswhichtheyweretoldbeforehandwouldberuinoustotheunityandintegrityoftheUnitedKingdom-LandBillsandLocalGovernmentBillspassedintolaw,andsofarfromthedireconsequenceswhichwereapprehendedfromthesemeasures,theyhavefound-youherehavefound-thatgreatgoodhasresultedfromthatlegislation.Peopleareencouragedbywhathastakenplacetoexertthemselvestomakeastepforwardinthefuture,andIthinkifweneedorlookforanyfurtherencouragementweshouldfinditinthegreatsuccess,thegreatandundisputedtriumphwhichunderthemercyofHeavenhasattendedourpolicyinSouthAfrica.[Cheers.]IthasresultedinbringingintothecircleoftheBritishEmpireagrandandmartialrace,whichafoolishpolicymighteasilyhaveestrangedforever.[Cheers.]

Ladiesandgentlemen,theIrishpolityfindsitsfellownowhereintheworld.ItisaGovernmentresponsibleneithertoKingnorpeople.ItisnotademocraticGovernment,notanautocraticGovernment,norevenanoligarchicalGovernment.ItisaGovernmentoverriddenby41administrativeBoardswhosefunctionsoverlaponeanotherandsometimesconflictwithoneanother.SomearefedwithmoneyfromtheConsolidatedFund,somearesuppliedbyvoteoftheHouseofCommons,somearesuppliedfromsavingsfromtheIrishDevelopmentgrant.SomeoftheseBoardsareundertheViceroy,someundertheChiefSecretary,someunderTreasurycontrol,andsomeareundernocontrolatall.[Laughter.]

Youhaveanadministrationresultingfromthatsystemcostly,inefficient,unhandybeyondalldescription.Youhaveamightystaffofofficialsandpolice;apeopledesperatelypoor;youhavetaxationwhichrisesautomaticallywitheveryincreaseintheexpenditureofthisvastandwealthyisland.Youhaveapopulationwhichdwindlesyearbyyear-terriblyandtragicallydwindles.Addtoallthisaloyalistcaste.Whatanoldmanoftheseathatistogetonthebackofanycountry!

-aclassofpeopleapartfromthefeelingsofthemassofthoseinthelandinwhichtheylivelookingfortheirsupport,nottothepeoplebuttoexternalforcederivedfromacrossthesea.YouhaveineffectinIrelandatthepresenttimealmostexactlythesamesituationwhichwouldhavegrownupinSouthAfricaifwehadnothadthewitandthenervetopreventitbyboldanddaringtreatmentofthequestion.[Hear,hear.]TakethewholeofthissituationasIhavedescribedit.ThrustitintothearenaofBritishpoliticstobethecentreofcontendingfactions,thrustitintoourturbulentarenahereathome,andthepanoramaofIrishGovernmentiscomplete.

Withthesefactsbeforeus,upontheauthorityofmenlikeLordDunraven,SirJosephWestRidgeway,SirAnthonyMacDonnell,LordDudley,andotherswhohaveservedtheCrowninIreland-isitwonderfulthatweshouldrefusetoturnoureyesawayfromthevisionofthatotherIreland,thatIrelandfreetocontrolherowndestinyinallthatproperlyconcernsherself;freetodevotethenativegeniusofherpeopletothepurposesofherownself-culture,thevisionofthatotherIrelandwhichMr.Gladstonehadreservedastheculminatingachievementofhislongandgloriouscareer?

[Cheers.]Isitwonderfulthatweshouldrefusetoturnoureyesawayfromthat?

No,IsaythatthedesireandtheaimofmakinganationalsettlementwithIrelandonlineswhichwouldenablethepeopleofthatcountrytomanagetheirownpurelylocalaffairsisnotanaimthatcanbeseparatedfromthegeneralmarchoftheLiberalarmy.[Cheers.]

IfIcomeforwardonyourplatformhereatDundeeitisontheclearunderstandingthatIdonotprecludemyselffromdoingsomethingtotrytoreconcileIrelandtoEnglandonabasisoffreedomandjustice.[Cheers.]Isaidjustnowthatthiswasanimportantelection.Yes,theeffectuponHisMajesty'sGovernmentandupontheLiberalpartyforgoodorillfromthiselectioncannotfailtobegreatandfar-reaching.Therearestrongforcesagainstus.DonotunderratethegrowingstrengthoftheToryreactionnowinprogressinmanyoftheconstituenciesinEngland.IsayitearnestlytothosewhoaremembersoftheLabourpartyheretoday-donotunderratethestormwhichisgatheringoveryourheadsaswellasours.[Hear,hear,andcheers.]ButIamnotafraidoftheforceswhichareagainstus.[Cheers.]Withyoursupportweshalloverwhelmthem-withyoursupportweshallbeatthemdown.Ah,butwemusthavethatsupport.-[Cheers,andavoice-"2300."]

ItisnottheenemyinfrontthatIfear,butthedivisionwhichtoooftenmakesitselfmanifestinprogressiveranks-itisthatdivision,thatdispersionofforces,thatinternecinestruggleinthemomentsofgreatemergency,inthemomentswhentheissuehangsinthebalance