ABSTRACT
The ‘constructive imperialist’ critique of free trade was suited to Conservative politics in and after 1903. According to the tariff argument, free trade was inimical to imperial organization not simply because tariffs were required for imperial preference, but because free traders ‘hated all that we understand by Imperialism’. The broader significance of the argument for preference was that the imperial aspect of tariff reform marked an important break from previous conceptions of Empire and the role of the Colonies. The urgent tone of much of the argument for imperial preference was prompted by fear that the internal structure of the Empire was too weak and that it would drift apart unless conscious efforts were made to arrest ‘centrifugal’ tendencies. From a general critique of liberal political economy the case for preference had become a specific attack on Liberal government policy and in particular a critique of the Liberals’ refusal to respond positively to ‘the Colonial offer’.
