The Welsh Coast Pioneer and Review for North Cambria

UNIONIST DEMONSTRATION AT ABERGELE. GREAT GATHERING AT GWRYCH CASTLE. LORD RIDLEY ON TARIFF REFORM. UNIONIST CANDIDATE'S ADVICE TO QUARRYMEN. MISTAKEN NOTIONS CONCERNING FREE TRADE. (From Our Own Reporters.) Colonel Mellor and those who assisted him in organising tha demonstration held at Gwrych ou Monday, under the auspices of the Denbighsiiire Conservative and Liberal- Uiiioiudt Association, are to bo very heartily congratulated upon the unqualified success of the •w hcils proceedings. There were about two thou- sand people in attendance, and, notwithstand- ing that a considerable proportion of them had oole long distances from the iura 1 districts, tnero were scarcely a soore who had not arrived when the Castle clock ahimed throe o'clock, so that the meeting' was opened promptly at 3.15 as advertised. Tho gathering was not only one of the largest of the kind seen in the district for years, but it oortainly was one off the most in- fluential, for it included representatives of the leading families in the counties of Denbigh, Car- narvon. and Flint. Moreover, the speeches were excellent, and the weather, though threatening at one period, remained dry and equabie throughout a very important factor since the proceedings were carried out in the open air. So far as tho surroundings of tho meeting were concerned it would be difficult to conceive anvthing more delightful. The platform had erected u-iier the shelter of the Castle wall facing- the, splendid park, witth its magnificent old tnes, between whose dark green branches one caught jjlimpses of the blue waters of the Irish Channel, which helped to oompleta a cliarming picture. A hearty cheer greeted Colonel Mesham, the president of the afternoon, as he ascended the platform in company with Lord Ridley and Mr Sam. Thompson, the two principal speakers, the Countess Dundonald, and other distinguished reswkirits of the throe counties. This was vigor- ously renewed when the gallant Colonel. fith- out a moonent's delay, opened the proceedings. His speech was necessarily short because, as he subsequently remarked, Lord Ridley, who had -been travelling since 1.30 a.im. in order to ad- dress the meeting, had to catoh the 4 p.m. train again so that he could reach Birmingham in time for another meeting", at wihiah be was also to speak. Colunel Mesham, no doubt, expressed the feel- ing of the whole assembly when he regretted the unavoidable absence of Colonel Wynne Ed- wards, who contested tfue seat twelve years SI'r°, and the Hon. Laurenoe Brodrick, who, &.0 he observed, has done as much as any living man to vitalise the Unionist cause in the county. Speaking off Mr Sam. Thompson's candidature, ho said the voters throughout the division had clamoured for a fight, and the leaders of the party felt bound to accede to their wishes a Istatement which was heartily cheered. Touch- ing lightly upon the weakness of the present Go- vernment, Colonel Mesham asked whether there was a single bill which thoy had passed that could be really described as being for the good of the whole community at largie. An eonphatio "No" came from the assembly. "Their bills," added the President, "are animated by hostility to certain classes, to certain individuals, to cor- tain industries, and by political spite." Colonel Mesham instanced the Education and Licensing Bills. 1 am in favour of temperance as much as anybody," he exclaimed with emphasis, "but their Licensing Bill affects tho interests of inno- cent persons throughout tihe country in tho i lest vitdJ maanar People who hew inveslmd their money legitimately in the brewery interest* which m:st be considered as much property ad any other property, will be ruined iff this Bill is passed, and it has been brought forward through sneer animus against a certain class be- cause they vote against the Liberals at each election." The cheering was heartier than ever in confirmation of this view. Colonel Mesham concluded with a brief refeirence to the rapidly decreasing imports and exports, and "the en- ori.x us amount of unemployment staring us ;n the face," tIhtl only remedy for both of vrhich he felt sure was a reform otf the country's fuoal system. Lord Ridley, tall and soldierly ;n bearing, folcvvd at onze midst rousing applause. He paid a deserving tribute to the beauty of the surrounding scenery, and said he felt be had no business to introduce polemical discussions on so fair a spot. He further thought it might be presumptuous in an Englishman to talk to Welshmen about certain questions, but tariff re- form knew no distinction of race or colour, 00- oause it affected not only every parlof the Kingdom, but every colony in tihe Empire, and every race within their boundaries. It. was at the bottom df the unemployment question, be- cause it would provide an opportunity for the British working man to find employment in con- nection with the manufacture of goods now pro- duced in foreign countries, and those which our rapidly growing markets in the colonies dp- manded. Dealing with the steerotyped aocusation made against Unionists that their tariff reform policy w s an empt to hmake the rich richer and the poor poorer," his lordship asked, midst laughter, whether any sane politician would ser- iously assert that a body of men. would de- liberately Sfit themselves in those days of tho ballot and tho vote of the working class to forir.g in a pokey for making the poor poorer Free Trade advocates had always sought to 30t one cluss agiinst another, a policy he depreca- ted. "It would be a thousand misfortunes," said his lordship, "if, as sorr.e people ho," hinted, Conservatives and Liberals joined hands aguu.st the Socialists or any other body of men, and it would be a thousand misfortunes if on class were driven into an alliance against an- other because we believe the Unionist party, the party of Tariff Reform, have bofcre them the policy which contains the aspirations of all classes," a sentiment which was loudly Ap- plauded. His lordship cleaned tho a.iz, on two oouimon fallacies concerning Free Trade. In r first place he pointed out that tariff reformers me po- ly sought to re-establish the British fiscal (system on the basis on which Britain had trained her place in the in.irkots iiif the world. Free 1 radars contended that they hcui made Britain ..i the manufacturing country she wp-A to-d-av, but the Cobdenite movecnent only took effect iu 1845, and thoy had established their mputafcion as a great manufacturing1 nation long before that. Indeed, added ixxixl RirfJoy, 'it was because statesmen believed iJisat the growth end power of our tra-ck* bvd besou so gnxxt w.idor Protection tha,t th<y bhougiit feey couJd do without iL I'rotx^rian mada England pros- perous, and Protection only' Ringing dheora indicated that this pojnt had bad the desired effect. Replying- to invtc rijcits to the effect that fu Provcob'ciiiat oc.'tfrttrics vero ohornc- ftoriscd eihbur by high j/rkuwj, by ficKO<3ia] difli- OilUca, or by ijis Vo:<t'(irip in- sisted that ftt 0,2,0 u. All dA(Wo uaioiiu- nalfl '.r.^iiitic j ojjtHu: ttM of iiio in Sritaua vo-<ht:7. rh.,1} piir>.vi w' 'jtvmir.ii? bad; &ui.t we 444i LuiAaovd .tfiiiiau.'iii'A wm.* obvious fieDifi "¡ft tfOlllblo w, tho p: Jlorcf/nment lhad to Ia-dw bsfih «WKL< viMxrmz ve had -Mont in ito" 1t.1JlU.t.u. tLti j gravest form. \it ww hhi £!i« 8('i''tuuWea, tJ_1. U. our fcJonim, loi HKiat all 4KIr 4irf"ultito ti, any :7 Cks wdu -y^wvidia^ we rovued our tariff ysbm. Lord EidllCY spoke for 13s than fort\ -fi ve minutes, because he bad to c..tchl his tra n, but. he had obviously impressed the gathering by his earnestness and his lucidity. Tile Unionist Labour candidate imet with an fcnthusustic reception He "emiMdcd these who had listened to his address at Colwyn Bay a. f w weeks a-go that, he had made two promises—ote to make his abodo in the constituency within a monoh and to start upon his candidature at onoe. Both promises had been redeemed, for he now lived at Rutihin, and had already oom- inenoed work in earnest. SollDe people might oonsider t heterodoxy to invite one of the toil- ing masses of the oouritry to stand for the party in that constituency, but he hoped tthe Conser-, vatives of West Denbighshire had acted as pioneers in a movement whicth would be taken up to a great extant throughout the country. Mr Thompson dofendexl himself against the in sinuations of his critics. He had beün twitted because he was born in the United States off America, and it had been asked why he, a South Walian, should have been selected for a North Wales coinstituency. "What is the differ- ence," asked Mr Thompson, midst loud laughter, "betwoon ane and any other Welshman if, simply on account of an accident over whiah I had no oontrol, I was not born in Wales?" He would remind his opponents that there were several Liberal members of Parliament representing various parts of Wales who had "absolutely no connection with Wales until they oame here to, look for safe seats." Mr Thompson addressed a few pertinent re- marks to the quarrymen of North Wales. He referred to the protest by tihe Bothesda quarry- men against the uae off South Wales slates for roofing the new North Wales University College buildings at Bangor. He quite agreed with tho quarrymen. "Men in the locality should get the labour in that lcoality," he said. "But it seeens to me to be very inconsistent that, whilst I pre-' sume those quarrymen are Free Traders and that thev should want to support the polioy of so-called Free Trade between this and other oountries, they do not believe in Free Trade between one I COLONEL MESHAM. J President of the West Denbigh shire Constitutional Association. i W- lm oounty and another. They do not be- lieve in giving Pembrokeshire Free Trade in Cam,irvorishire, and I maintain that that is ab- solutely inconsistent." Mr Thompson also scored well wiuem he reminded his hearers of Mr Lloyd George's utteranoe in the House of Com- mons in 1898, when the right hon. gentleman vigorously protested against the expenditure of State funds on the Irish University, on the ground of the denominatio-nal teaching to be given there, whoreas the Liberal Government, of which Mr Lloyd George was a. prominent mem- ber, had rooontly passed a Bill which endowed the L'ish University for that identical purpose. "What of tihe Nonconformist conscience now?" queriid the candidate. Not the least noteworthy amongst the speeches was the short but withal eloquent one delivered by Mr John Brock wiho gave some striking figures bearing upon the (falling off in home manufacturing industries consequent upon the present fiscal policy of too country. Colonel Williams-Wynn also spoke convincingly. At the close of tihe proceedings the gathering were entertained to tea in a. huge marquee ereoted in the park in front of the Castle. Colonel Mesham was accompanied on the plat- form by Lord Ridley, the Countess of Dundonald, Mr Sam Thompson, Lady Florentia Hughes. Mr H. R. Hughes of Kinmel; Colonel and Mrs Mellor, Colonel the Hon H. Lloyd Mostyn and the Hon. Mrs Lloyd Mostyn, Mrs Laurence Brodrick, the Hon. Mary Hughes, Lady Jean Cochrane, Mr and Mrs Randall Mainwaring, Mr G. H. Denton, Colonel Sandbach, and Mr and Mrs John Brock. GETTING READY FOR A FIGHT. Colonel MESHAM, in his opening remarks, ) said that in the first plaoo he had to thank the Countess of Dundor.ald in the name of that large i assembly for having invited i.hem there (cheers). He did not know of a more ideal place for a He did not know of a more ideal place for a meeting. Tho gathering was the outcome of j the meeting c> £ delegates from Weet Denbighshire j held not long n.go at Colwyn Bay, when the dele- gates expressed the earnest wish that they should contest the seat at the next ^eaer?J election i (ohwiii). With that wish, he was bound to say, J ho WM in full accord. What was the good of having an organisation such as they i>o.?sessed if thoy did not fight? What was the good of having principles to uphold if they did not fight for tliom ? (applause). Twelve years had elapsed since they had contested that constituency, and since then times had changed, and there had been j many important questions before the country. He was sorry that Colonel Wynne Edwards, who I rnada a gallant fight for them on the last occasion, j could net be present that day. While they fought a good fight then ho was sure that they would make a better fight now (hear, hear). Al- though ho could not be present Colonel Wynne Edwards had sent a letter wishing all success to their cause. He (tho chairman) had also a letter from the Hon. Laurence Brodrick (ap- plause). Ho was sure that there was no one more sorry that he could not be present than that gentleman, for there was no one who had done more for the Constitutional cause in that constituency than Mr Brodrick (hear, hear). It was only great pressure of business that kept him away that day. He had also received a letter from Mr Percival Hughes, of the Con- stitutional Association in London, who was to havo spoken there that day, but who had also found it impossible to attend. Mr Percival Huffbrw flpoko very highly of their candidate Mr 8am Thompsoo—^applause)— and Lord Rid- ley, who was president of the Tariff Reform .I,oar,te, also thought very highly of him. There was another letter to which he wished to refer I —that from Cornvvaliis West, who was on his way to Constantinople, and he very much re- gretted that he could not be with them. Colonel Mesham added that in his letter Mr Percival Hughes remarked that Lord Ridley deserved credit for the great work in which he was engaged, as the country at the present time was suffering through the want of employment, and the harassing policy of the Government was pre- venting capitalists from investing as they had no confidence in embarking upon industries under the present condition of things. GOVERNMENT MEASURES. Proceeding, Colonel Mesham said the Govern- ment now in power, while the strongest numerically that had ever held office, was on the other hand the weakest of modern times. They had not brought in a single measure that would benefit the whole community at large (hear, hear). Theii Bills were animated by hostility to one class, to certain individuals, and to certain industries; in fact, they were animated by jealousy and political spite (applause). That was not the sort of Government that should be entrusted with the business of the nation. Let the Government be what it might it should bring in Bills which were fair and just to all classes (applause). The Licensing Bill, for instance, was the most unfair Bill that had ever been brought forward. It was unfair and unjust in every degree (hear, hear). He was as much an advocate of tempcrance as any man, but he looked upon that Bill as affecting the interests cf innocent person throughout the country in the most vital degree (applause). If the Bill were passed—and they would have something to say about it before it became law—the interests of innocent people would be affected. Many people who had invested their money legitimately in the brewing industry, which was considered to be as much property as any other property in the country, would be ruined, and that by a Bill which was brought forward solely against a cer- tain class because they fought against the Govern- ment at the last election. With regard to the Education Bill, the Government had brought in two Education Bills which were animated by hos- tility to the denominational schools. The last was not a fair Bill, for no Bill could be fair that attempted to ruin a certain section of schools (applause). Mr Balfour had carefully considered matters before he brought in his Bill, and by it he gave them as much as they had a right to expect on a question which was taken in hand for the first time for many years. Before Mr Balfour's Bill was brought in a considerable sum of public money was being spent on schools without any control whatever by the public, but Mr Balfour's Bill made it very clear that there was to be popular control of all money spent on the schools, and every test was abolished except- ing that for the head teacher. Some people were fearsome and jealous of the public conscience, and they seemed to think that people should have no conscience except themselves. He did not know what the next Education Bill would be like, but there was the danger of its being framed with the object of keeping religioh out of the schools. He considered that parents should have a chance of saying what their children should be taught (applause). If the new Bill did not keep religion in the schools it would fail as the others had failed (hear, hear). POSITION OF THE COUNTRY. What was the position of affairs with regard to the country generally? They had trade falling off, and imports and exports were rapidly de- creasing to an enormous extent. They had an enormous amount of unemployment, which was one of the great questions of the day. He did not sr. that they would be able to do away altogether and in a moment with nnemplov- nient, but he did say that there was one thing in the future which could help them—tariff re- form (applause). At the present time by the policy of so-called Free Trade they were favour- ing the workmen of other countries at the ex- pense of their own. They did not give their own workmen a chance of doing work which should be dono in this country. This was one of the great questions upon which Lord Ridley would speak, and their thanks were due to him for coming there (loud applause) LORD RIDLEY ON TARIFF REFORM. LORD RIDLEY, who had an enthusiastic re- ception, said he really felt that he had no busi- ness there, because their surroundings did not lend themselves to polemical discussions, tJut. rather to entertainment and enjoyment, the scenery being certainly very beautiful. In a cer- tain sense he also felt it would be presumptuous in an Englishman to talk to Welshmen upon a great question, but he had come there to speak upon the question of Tariff Reform which knew no boundary nor any distinction of colour or creed in the whole of the British Empire (ap- plause). It was a subject which affected every colony and every race within their boundaries, and brought to the front the same problems for the Welshman as for every Englishman, every Australian, and every Canadian (applause). It was one which was the same in its manifest aspects, whether it was looked upon as safe- guarding their home industries against unfair competition, or regarded from the point of view of giving the foreigner the same chance in the markets of the world as they had themselves. If they looked upon it from the point of view of linking this country more closely to the Colonies and the Colonies with each other the point of view was the same, and it was at the bottom of the question) of employment for the working classes (applause). He did not sav that because omployment was bad to-day, but because, whether omployment was bad or good in this country, it W3S only right that their workmen should be given a fair chanco—and no more— of competing with the workmen of other ooTln".ries; and because Colonial preference, right- ly aiderstood, was not merely that every man fott a desire to cj\\w the Colonies closer to this country, but that there was at the bottom the opportunity to the British workman, and the British manufacturer, to accept the offer which tho Colonies gave him to make goods to sell in the rapidly growing markets of the Colonies (hear, hear) In asking them to change the system of taxation, to weld the British Empire more closely together they were asked to do it not merely for sentimental reasons, and because it would be another nail in the work which had been begun by their forefathers in the making of the British Empire, but they were asked to do it in order to produce that employment which would be afforded by the opportunity of entering at a cheaper rate the markets of the Colonies which were asking for goods to be exported to them. The principle of Tariff Reform was the same whatever point of view they looked at it, and he repeated that it was at the bottom of the question of the employment of the labouring classes, and, he would add, the capitalist classes also (hear, hear). The labour of the working ma.n and tho capital of the capitalist—especially if he be a workman who had saved a little money—was the same. The advocates of Free Trade told them that Tariff Reform was an attempt to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. That was certainly not what Mr Cham- berlain meant (applause). That was not what any sane politician would attempt or could possibly try to do. Tp say that any body of men would deliberately set themselves in these days of the ballot and the votes of the working classes to bring in a policy of making the poor poorer was to attribute to a set of men lunacy and nothing short of it (applause).. INCREASED FACILITIES FOR EMPLOY- MENT. What was wanted by the Tariff Reformer was the opportunity which would give increased facili- ties for employment in this country. Their Free Trade opponents had always been in the position of trying to set class against class, and he de- precated that practice, It would be a thousand misfortunes if, as some people hinted,there should be some sort of alliance between the Liberals and the Conservatives against the Socialists or against any other body of men. But while the Free Traders aimed ai, setting class against cia-58 it was the boast of the Unionist Party and the party of Tariff Reform that they had a policy which combined the desires and aspirations of all classes (applause). The parties in this country should be defined not by the line which separated class from class, but by the line which separated principle from principle (apyleuse}. The Free LORD RIDLEY. The Principal Speaker at the Meeting. Traders did not all belong to one class, nor did the Tariff Reformers belong to one. They would find workmen and capitalists on one side, and workmen and capitalists on the other. And he for one would refuse to take any share in a political controversy if he thought that the ad- vocating of Tariff Reform would lead, as the Liberals wanted it to lead, to the putting of class against class (hear, hear). But that was the old line of the Liberal Party after all. Thai was the real meaning of the Cobdenite movement when Protection was abolished in this country; it was a move of the manufacturers. It was the same policy which actuated the Government of to-day, and the Liberals were trying to set class against class by their legislation since they had been in office. Their measures had been against property and the security of property, and he thought they would find that the working classes had as great a dependence in the security of pro- perty as any other class in this country. The working man, in the present constitution of society, must depend on the capitalist; bui no capitalist, be he English or foreign, was willing to embark in promoting industries in this country under the present condition of things. While they might not all be Carnegies they were not all paupers (applause). There were very few men outside the workhouse who had not some sort of rights in property which they wished secured (applause). The Liberals were asking thorn to put the whole property of the country-as they were asked bv the Socialist Party—into the melt- ing pot, so that there would be equal means of production and distribution, and they were asked to go in for a policy which would render insecure, not only the millions of the employers, but also the saving-s of the working men (applause). The working classes had, therefore, as great an in- terest in the policy of the Unionist Party and in promoting Tariff Reform an-d the security of pro- perty as any class in this country, and even more so (applause). They had the same interests to fight for under the Unionist banner, which in that constituency would be carried by Mr Thomp- son at the next election (applause). There were large numbers of the working ciasses who were prepared to support Mr Thompson, not only be- o cause they believed that the policy of the Tariff Reform would provide the means for more em- ployment, but because they also believed in the other principles of the Unionist Party (applause). TAXATION UPON CAPITAL. Perhaps they might think that in alluding to the rights of property he had strayed away from the question of Tariff Reform, but that was not the case. If they looked at what had happened since the present Government came into power they would find that they had been driven to support the present system of so-called Free Trade. They had been driving finance out of the country with their out-of-date ideas, and forcing a system of taxation which paved the way for Socialism, and frightened away capital from this country. In plain words the State found difficulty in getting enough revenue to meet the expenditure. Only last year the Government ombarked on a system of old age pensions with- out the slightest idea of where the money was to come from. The Government took credit for having solved this question, but they had not solved the only difficulty there ever had been about old age pensions, namely as to where the money was to come from (laughter and hear, hear). The Government had left it for some- one else to pay the bills they were piling up. In order to finance Free Trade, and to find money, they were breaking through the prin- ciple of what they were pleased to call Free Trade; they were obliged to resort to threats of taxation upon all forms of oapital embarked in industries, which rendered it impossible to get money for the promotion of an industrial enter- prise in thia country. If they aaked anyone MR SAM. THOMPSON." Unionist L;"didate lot Wwt Denbighshire. who was interested in the promotion of in- dustries they would tell them that this Govern- ment had been legislating so much in the direction of Socialism that they had frightened away capital which meant industrial enterprises and employment of men (applause). They had frightened away capital by endeavouring to cup- port a system of Free Trade, and by their at- tempt to impose fresh taxation upon property they had allied the cause of Free Trade with the cause of Socialism. They had been compelled to resort to this system of taxation in order to meet the bills which come due. It was an acknowledged fact that since this Government had come into power there had been a decrease in the revenue, and the receipts from im- ports and exports had decreased by leaps and bounds. It was the same report no matter from what source they took the returns—whether from the Trades Unions, from an impartial observer like Professor Shadwell, or from the special articles written for special industries by men competent to judge of things. It was the same tale of unemployment and starving men. THE UNEMPLOYED QUESTION. The unemployed question was a serious and growing one in our midst. What remedy could \>e offered from a Free Traders' point of viewf They might give a few hundreds of pounds as a dole to tho unemployed, but what was the use of such a sum when distributed between hundreds of thousands of men who wanted em- ployment? But they could not go on making these grants from the State, as they were paid out of the taxes of the people, and the more money that was paid to the unemployed the greater became the burden on those who were employed, so that the remedy was worse than the disease (applause). If they were to impose a tariff they would collect more money from the goods which came into this country, and it would prevent the dumping of cheap goods which under present conditions our manufacturers could not produce. By a tariff they would be able to give preferential treatment to their Colonies, who in turn would take the goods from us which they required (applause). He did not base his naJiQn since time immemorial. But, as a matter I statement on figures which anyone could dis- nrove, but upon facts. One could not contradict the fact that there was unemployment, and that it was a serious question in this country at the present moment, and the only remedy for that was Tariff Reform, which after all was only copy- ing what every other nation had done. By adopting it they would be only returning to a system which had placed this Empire in the position which it oocupied in the markets of the world. Free Traders talked as if this country had only attained the position of being a great manufacturing nation under Free Trade. They spoke as if Free Trade had been the policy of the of fact, they were a great manufacturing country years before Free Trade was thought of in this oountry (apr>lause). It was only in 1845 that they dropped protection, and it was dropped because our statesmen believed that the growth of power and the trade of this country had been so great that we could do without protection (loud applause). The words of the advocates of Free Trade were that Protection And Protection only had made England prosperous. COMPETITION ON EQUAL TERMS. J, What they as advocates of the Tariff Reform League asked for now w&s not the Protection as practised by their forefathers, but a system which would enable them to make terms so that the British manufacturer could compete upon the same terms as the foreigner now com- peted (applause). He did not believe there was any class in this country which would not benefit by the change. He hesitated to say that because they had had experience of this Government, which promissed every party everything. If they went in for Tariff Reform, aa he believed they would do at the next election, it would not the next day produced employment for everyone. It would not make towns grow where country villages now existed. It would not empty the workhouses, because they would have to undo the work of two generations of free dumping in this country, and that could not be done in a moment (hear, hear). It could not do everything, but all those who had studied the question of Tariff Reform would say that it would have a tendency to increase employment, and that being so it would also have a tendency to I decrease the number of unemployed (applause). There was no class and no trade which did not j diroctly benefit when there was general pros- l perity. There was more trade when people had more money to spend, and the shopkeeper bene- f fited, while the manufacturer would be more I inclined to spend capital when he knew that hr could have his goods put on an equal footing with the foreigner. He did not expect that hr; would at once cc.*uince every Free Trader in that audience. He would be sorry if he did, for the British nation had always had the quality of looking before they leapM, and also the quality of sticking tenaciously to an idea when they had once made up their minds. This nation two generations ago made up its mind for Free Trade, and it was now for the Tariff Reformers to show the people why thoy should change their minds, and they must not be surprised if the people asked for reasons, and did not agree with them at once. Free Traders could point to some reasons against a change. In They could point to unemployment in one of the Protected countries, to financial difficulties in another, and to high prices in another, and that there would be the greatest difficulty in passing a tariff measure through the House of Commons. To that he would say Britain had the difficulties of every country. They had high prices often because things were ooni rolled by foreign trusts; tney had the financial difficulties of the present Government, and "they had unemployment in its accutest and gravest form. But although there were difficulties in the way, they were difficulties which oountries with less opportunities and less energy, and with less history than ours had sur- mounted (applause). They were difficulties which they, with their great Colonies, their great Empire and its great dependencies waiting to be developed asking for preferential treatment and greater trade with the mother country, could overcome more easily than any other nation, be- cause they had markets ready for their goods and ready to help us to be the greatest manufacturing nation in the world, if only we would join with them. There were difficulties, and there were dangers, but they had less difficulties and greater opportunities than any other country in the world. Therefore, it was for them to take the earliest opportunity of making themselves worthy of the inheritance which their forefatheis bad handed down to them (loud applause). A SERIES OF PERTINENT POINTS. Mr Sam. Thompson, the Unionist candi- date, who followed, was equally well reoeived. He proposed a vote ci thanks to Lord Ridley for his address, and that the rmoetiiig1 "pledges itself to forward the cause of the alteration in tho fiscal policy of this oauaitry by all consti- tutional moons." At the outset, he (Mr Thompson) said he was very ploaied indeed to address that splendid meeting, and he desired to associate himself with the remarks of the chair- man in thanking Countess Dundonald for her g kindness on tlm,t occasion, and also in the expression of reg~ret at .t., absence of the Hon. Mr Lawrence Brodrickv," It was not neoessary for him to say anything in eulogy of Mr Brod- rick, but he felt that at any meeting where Mr Brodrick was absent there was a decided gap (hear, hear). He was aware that it was said—and with & certain gap (hear, hear). He was aware that it was said—and with & certain amount of justice, perhaps—that when the West Denbighshire Conservative and Unionist Asso- ciation invited him to fight the division they had taken an unprecedented step; indeed, it might be thought that in a certain respect their action might be considorod somewhat neterodox, beoause he was one of the toiling masses of the country (chcers). Ho-w-evor, he hoped the West Denbighshire Unionists had acted as pioneers of a movement that would be taken up to a great a movement that would be taken up to a great extent throughout the oo.untry in the future. He had always felt that there was a great necessity to draw closer together the classes and the masses of the country—(hea.r, hear)—for he we!l knew that there were thousands of working men in the kingdom who were anxious to do their best for the Unionist party £ they were given the opportunity to do so He was not egotist enough to say that better people oould be found in his own than in the higher classes, but there W,O, C excellent young men who had devoted their time to seff-improvement and the study of political and other affairs, as he had done, and were ready and willing to exert themselves on behalf of the Conservative cause (hear, hear), REPLY TO CRITICS. Continuing, Mr Thompson said that certain remarks had been made in the local press oon- cerning his candidature. An opposition journal had been good enough to suggest that because he had not frhe good fortune to be born in Wales he could not be in sympathy with Wales and Welsh nationalism. He certainly could not support his opponents' ideas of Welsh nation- alism nevertheless, he had always and always would support what he personally considered t.o be Welsth nationalism (hear, hear). So far as the question of his birth was oonoernad, he acknow- ledged tihat he had not been born in Wales, his paranta, like a good many otihar people, having be-an driven to America for a livelihood. He had been born in the United States, but he had returned when a more baby, and had eventually } become a naturalised citizen of Wales. And what was the difference bstweeo him and any other Welshman because owing to an accident, over which he had no oontrol-(lou.d laughter)- he had been born in America? After all, if the Unionists of West Denbighshire had made a mistake in selecting a candidate who had not baen born in Wales they had been set a very bad example by the Liberal party. Several gentle- man represented Wales in Parliament to-day who were not only not born in Wales but who had absolutely no connection with the country until they came there to look for safe seats (applause and laughter). The Editor of "Tit Bits," for instance, was the member for Swan- sea a Lancashire cotton spinner represented a Monmouthshire constituency, while an Irish gen- tleman named MoKenna represented another division Of the same oounty. Moreover, they had heard the great leader, Mr Lloyd George, himself boasting the other day that he was "a laddie fra' Lancashire" (laughter and applause). Yet, again, even their neighbouring division was at present represented by an Englishman (hear, hour). He (the speaker) was not afraid of criticism, but he appealed to his opponents to be fair in their oriticism, for he hoped to re- main on good terms with all his opponents, and to fight an honourable clean, stand-up fiirht (applause). HOW TO RELIEVE UNEMPLOYMENT. Mr Thompson proceeded to discuss Tariff Reform and its powers to relieve the amount of unemployment in the country at present. All will agree, he said, that we are faoe to faoo now with one of the worst winters this country bas been unfortunate enough to experience for very many years from the point off view of depression in trade and the great number of people out of employment. Though we are yet only in September we hear from practically all the industrial centres of the country that there are large numbers out of work, and these numbers are added to continuously. We are told that there are 60,000 out at Glasgow and 25,000 at Manchester, and much the same thing prevails proportionately everywhere. This has been brought about largely by the dumping of goods here from foreign countries which should have'been manufactured in this country. Re- ferring to the proceedings at the recent Trades Union Congress. Mr Thompson remarked that he had every respect for trades unionism, and up till last year he had been a member of a trades union himself. He believed that a trades union properly administered tended to safeguard the interests of masters as well as men, and that they were thus a power for good in the country, because it must bring closer together masters and men and help to settle amicably many serious disputes. In connection with the Trades Union Congress, however, two outstanding facts struck him. One was that the Congress agreed that "black-legging" was a bad thing, and secondly that sweating was equally bad. He was in ab- solute agreement with the Unionists upon both points, for it was always wrong for one man to undercut another, and cruel for an employer of labour to sweat people (hear, hear). Of course, the sweater and black-leg combined to produce cheapness. Under the circumstances, was it not I extraordinary that the delegates at the Congress should advocate a system of Free Trade? One of the fundamental principles of Free Trade was to always buy in the cheapest market, so that in in condemning the black-leg and the sweater the delegates were absolutely inconsistent because the black-leg and the sweater represented the cheapest market in the way of labour (loud applause). THE CORN AND THE CHAFF. Another thing said in connection with the un- employment question was that a large propor- tion of the unemployed were really unemploy- able. There had always been people of that class, but it was wrong to soy that the majority of the unemployed of this country belonged to that class (hear, hear). Yet, while the existing con- ditions remained, while goods were sent into this country as they were they would have that par- ticular class steadily increasing because men who originally were bona-fide unemployed eventually lost heart and ultimately fell into the ranks of the unemployable. Some means should be found of sifting out the bona-fide workers from the others and provide them with the opportunities to earn their livelihood. To do that, however, they must increase the facilities for employment, and they could never accomplish that unless they stopped the stream of foreign goods which came to this country un. taxed. The Socialist party had a remedy of their own, and he understood that during the coming session they would re-introduce in Parlia- ment what was known as The Right to Work Bill." a measure which proposed that every municipality, every borough or town council should either find employment for everyone who registers himself as out of work or keep him until such employment could be found for him. That was, of course, an absurd and impossible scheme. It was not the "right" to work men wanted, because every workingman in the country had that right already; it was the chance to work that was wanted (applause). That could be provided by revising the fiscal system of the kingdom (renewed applause). QUARRYMEN'S GitlEVANCE. The North Wales quarrymen were at present airing a grievance in connection with the erec- tion of the North Wales University C ollege build- ings at Bangor. It appeared that it had been arranged to roof the structure with slates from a South Wales quarry, and the Bethesda quarry- men had, he understood, presented a petition protesting against that on the ground that slates could be obtained for the purpose in the locality. The quarrymen were, he presumed, Free Traders and would support such a policy as be- tween countries, but they did not believe in Free Trade between one Welsh county and another (hear, hear, and laughter). They did not be- lieve in giving Pembrokeshire Free Trade in Carnarvonshire. Vt as not that absolute inconsis- tency? (Applause). And if it v.as unfair for the Welsh quarrymen of Pembrokeshire to send slates to Carnarvonshire, how much more unfair was it for foreign countries to send thousands of tons of slates every year, thereby depriving hundreds and may be thousands of their legiti- mate right to work. They had recently had the help of numerous advisers from foreign countries on the administration of their fiscal and com- mercial affairs, and the very Welsh names of the members of the committee appointed to deal with the matter—such as Von Schwartz, Don Pablo Basch (loud laughter) would appeal to the people of Denbighshire with such effect that their views would be promptly accepted (laughter). THE CHANCELLOR'S INCONSISTENCY. Dealing lightly with the Government's Educa- t-ion Bill, Mr Thompson reminded the gathering that during the great controversy over the Act of 1902 it was contended by their opponents that the Act would provide the means of voting large sums of the ratepayers' money for the purpose of giving denominational teaching in the volun- tary schools. During the last session, however. Parliament passed into law the Irish Catholic University Bill which directs endowed denomi- nlational teaching in a Roman Catholic Univer- sity in Ireland at the cost of the British tax- payer (hear, hear). A sum of £ 130,000 had been granted towards the buildings, and £ 43,000 for the specific purpose of teaching denominational teaching. It was interesting to recall that ac- cording to Hansard, Mr D. Lloyd George while discussing the question in 1898 in the House of Commons, said: "This is setting un an univer- sity Catholic in tone, Catholic in atmosphere, really Catholic in every respect, and it is best described by the name Catholic University, but as you know the vast majority of the members on this side of the House are representing Non- conformist constituencies and we will oppose the measure whether the proposal comes from the other side of the House or from this side." Such was Mr Lloyd George's opinion in 1898. Why had it changed in 1908 ? Why had he not opposed the Catholic University Bill of 1908 ^hich he had condemned in 1898' "(ioud applause). When the Bill was discussed in the House Mr C. C. Craig, one of the Unionist members, moved an amendment in these terms with regard to the financial provisions of the Bill: "That the grant be allowed provided that none of it be uiled for the purpose of denominational teaching." Bu". that had been voted against by Mr D. Lloyd George, Mr Herbert Lewis, and several other Welsh members, as well as the great advocate u Nonconformist conscience, Dr Macnamara (cheers and laughter). Surelv their opponents could not run with the harp and hunt with the hounds. Mr Thompson proceeded in Wslsh, and dealin" with the Tariff Reform question he challenged the right of the Liberals to say that the country's present fiscal system was one of Free Trade. Lo conclusion, he oordially thanked not only Lord Ridley, but all the secretaries of the various committees and others who had worked so hard to ensure the sucoass of the meeting. "If the local committees will oontinue," he said, "to give such splendid services in the future as they have rendered in oonnection with this meeting I am sure we will give our opponents a great surprise when the time comes" (loud and prolonged applause). ELOQUENT FIGURES. Mr John Brcck, of Colwyn Bay, who seconded said a gcoti deal had bean said about the ne- cessity for zwiff reform. He had one or two facts that might help to drive home what Lord Ridley and Mr Thompson had said about that neoessity. He was a member of a large manu- facturing company who, some twelve or four- teen years ago, employed from 15,000 to 16,OCO men. Two years ago a census h.ad been taken, and it was found that the number now em- ployed was 12,000, and he doubted very mheh whether 10,000 would be found at work if a census were .now take. That meant that the firm had ceased tc employ 5000 men during the isst fourteen years; in other words, their in- dustry had oeased to support about 25,000 peo- ple. He did not say that that was to be ascribed altogether to the tariff watis erected against the industry in foreign countries, but he did emphatically say tihat it was largely due fo that (applause). Lord Ridley had also spoken about the amount otf capital taken out of this country and invested in foreign countries in order to avoid the excessive tariffs. That had been the experience of his company. "We have in the case of one article we manufacture," proceeded Mr Brock, "had to sand capital abroad and to employ foreign workmen to manufacture what we could not now manufac- ture here simply because the tariff is too high. These oonorcte facts should bring home to you the advisability of stmie change in the preser* tariff arrangements of this country (applaus-1 I most earnestly ask yo<u to work and let each one a you be a missionary to spread annng tl o people the absolute neoessity for a change in this direction" (loud applause). t The resolution was unanimously ajid enthusi. astically carried.. VOTES OF THANKS. Oclonel R. Williams-Wynn, in proposing n, vote of thanks to the Counters of Dundonaid for permitting the meeting to be held L* the grounds of tihe Castle, said her ladyship had given them a lead which he hoped wouk* be followed in other parts of the country. They oould not hope to have many big meetings like that, but they oould have small meetings in every village, and they should put their back into the work and do their very best to ensure the return of Mr Sam Thompson (applause). Thev had put their hand, to the plough, and thev were determined that they w^u'd not stop until they had reached the end of the furrow (applause). Wlviri they had secured their rtosi-j tion they should entrench against any future] attack otf the enemy (applause). He waaj pleased to hear Lord Ridley speak so much onl the question of t.he unemployed. They <y>uld not] have prosperity unless they had work for th« j working men, and that oould only be found when men of (-anital were prepared to spe.nd their money. Th-v coul<f denend upon it that when men with money had cc-nfidenoe in a GOT ernnvmt they were prepared to sunport in dustries, a.nd that meant more. work, but with the present Government in power people were afraid to lauhch out, and the result was that men we>re un?ble to find t.he neoessary work. He asked them to do all thov could to secure the return of Mr Thompson (applauseh The vote of thanks wa- carried with ap- plause, and Ook-el Mesham replied on behalf of the Countess d Dund-)n,Id, expressing the ple.nsii'-e it gave her ladyship to see so many present. Mr Randle Mainwaring proposed a vote of thanks to C'-lcncl Mesham for presiding. and said that with such a leader their orgn.njsntion was bound to be suooessful. Colonel Mesham had stood by the Association in West Den- bighshire far many years, and they were proud to think thit, thanks to his efforts, there had been a revival of the old enthusiasm. The best return they could give him wus by working for the return of Mr Sam Thompson (applause). Colonel Sand bach seconded, and said that no mitior whether it was in the hunting field, at the court of quarter sessions, in the oause of charitv in connection with the Denbighshire In- firmary, or on the political platform they always found Ccloncl Mesham to the front (applause). The vote having been carried with applause. Colonel Mesham returned thanks, and also referred to the great services rendered in con- nection with that, demonstration by Colonel Mellor. Mr Inglis, and by the Demrnstracicsn Committee from Colwyn Bay. All had worked with a will, and he believed that, good results would follow the gathering. They had com- menced tine fight, and they were going on with it to the end (applause). The proceedings closed with cheers for the Countess of Dundanald, and the plaving of th« N-ltional Anthem by tho Llanddulas Silver Band, who were subsequently engaged in performing a suitable selection df music. The catering in the large marquee crected for l the t4 was in every way exoelleat.