38 BRITAIN FOR THE BRITON 



and general prosperity, has been compelled to recognise the 

 necessity for poverty and the legalisation of pauperism as a 

 national institution. 



Anti-Free-traders then naturally ask the question : " "Why 

 should we alone of all civilised nations in the world he in this 

 inglorious position ? " And their answer is : " Because in our 

 unwisdom we listened to the false doctrines of those who were 

 only capable of looking at a great fiscal question from one 

 narrow point of view, instead of studying it from the many 

 sides which so broad a question always presents." 



Every question in this world has more than one side to it, 

 and because we, in our blind credulity, obstinately refused to 

 acknowledge this cardinal fact, we have wrought incalculable 

 injury to the whole nation. The masses and the classes, 

 employer and employed, capital and labour, Eadical and 

 Conservative, are all equally involved in the general loss, and 

 none have escaped the blighting influence of our folly. 



They then add : " Let us recognise the fact that we have 

 erred ; that in our desire to improve the position of the people 

 we have cast away the substance for the shadow ; that certain 

 alterations are essential in our fiscal arrangements, and we 

 shall soon retrieve our position and build upon sure foundations 

 a great structure of national prosperity. If we neglect to 

 do this, poverty and distress will increase, and our ruin as a 

 great nation will surely follow," 



