IV

POLITICS

325

the Liberal Party is still the best instrument offuture progress—if only it had strong leader-ship and the right programme.

But when we come to consider the problemof party positively—by reference to what at-tracts rather than to what repels—the aspect isdismal in every party alike, whether we put ourhopes in measures or in men. And the reasonis the same in each case. The historic partyquestions of the nineteenth century are as deadas last week’s mutton; and whilst the questionsof the future are looming up, they have notyet become party questions, and they cut acrossthe old party lines.

Civil and Religious Liberty, the Franchise ,the Irish Question, Dominion Self-Govern-ment, the Power of the House of Lords , steeplygraduated Taxation of Incomes and of Fortunes,the lavish use of the Public Revenues for“Social Reform,” that is to say, Social Insur-ance for Sickness, Unemployment and Old Age,Education, Housing and Public Health—allthese causes for which the Liberal Party foughtare successfully achieved or are obsolete or arethe common ground of all parties alike. Whatremains? Some will say—the Land Question.Not I—for I believe that this question, in itstraditional form, has now become, by reason ofa silent change in the facts, of very slightpolitical importance. I see only two planks ofthe historic Liberal platform still seaworthy—the Drink Question and Free Trade . And ofthese two Free Trade survives, as a great and