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ESSAYS IN PERSUASION

PART

Party should be recruited from the Liberals ofthe previous generation. But there is no placein the world for a Liberal Party which is merelythe home of out-of-date or watery Labour men.The Liberal Party should be not less progres-sive than Labour, not less open to new ideas, notbehindhand in constructing the new world. Ido not believe that Liberalism will ever againbe a great party machine in the way in whichConservatism and Labour are great partymachines. But it may play, nevertheless, thepredominant part in moulding the future.Great changes will not be carried out exceptwith the active aid of Labour. But they will notbe sound or enduring unless they have firstsatisfied the criticism and precaution of Liberals .A certain coolness of temper, such as LordOxford has, seems to me at the same timepeculiarly Liberal in flavour, and also a muchbolder and more desirable and more valuablepolitical possession and endowment than senti-mental ardours.

The political problem of mankind is to com-bine three things: Economic Efficiency, SocialJustice, and Individual Liberty. The first needscriticism, precaution, and technical knowledge;the second, an unselfish and enthusiastic spiritwhich loves the ordinary man; the third, toler-ance, breadth, appreciation of the excellenciesof variety and independence, which prefers,above everything, to give unhindered oppor-tunity to the exceptional and to the aspiring.The second ingredient is the best possession of