The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, JULY 4, 1887. MIXED TEAMS.
Ploughing with mixed teams is an anti-scriptural proceeding, insofar that it is contrary to the law of Moses, who forbade his people to plough with an ox and an ass ; while an illassorted companionship m human affairs is likewise condemned by an apostolic injunction against unequal yoking to gether. And the prohibitions referred to have their justification m the fact that those only can be expected to work well and pleasantly and, consequently, to the best advantage, side by side who have sympathies m common and who are mutually adapted to assist each other. This is a recognised truism m affairs social, but m affairs political, m New Zealand at any rate, we seem to have drifted into the curious position that political parties consist of a congeries of individuals whose political sympathies, instead of being identical, are widely divergent, and whose sole bond of union is that of belonging for the time being either to the " Ins " or the " Outs." On the Government side we have a Radical Premier and a Conservative Treasurer, an enthusiastic believer m pushing free State education to all lengths, and an entire disbeliever m the system of State education as at present by law established, and on the Opposition side we have the spectacle of much greater contrariety of opinion. For while Major Atkinson and Sir John Hall favor the protection of local industries, Mr Bryce, Mr Rolleston, Mr Scobie McKenzie, Colonel Trimble, and a host of others are out and out, not to say rabid, freetraders. Then Mr Rolleston would retrench largely «n Defence expenditure, and Sir John Hal would do nothing of the kind ; while Sir John Hall and, we believe, Major Atkinson also would retrench m Education, and Mr Rolleston would oppose it to the uttermost. As regards the land policy Mr Rolleston is for perpetual leasing, Sir John Hall for freehold tenure. In a word on all cardinal points, the leaders of the Opposition are as widely separated by differences of opinion as the poles are asunde. Whatever differences exist on the Ministerial side, there are at least points of common agreement as, for example, upon the questions of protection to local industries, the extension of settlement, and a reform m the incidence of taxation, whereas among their opponents we look m vain for any conseusus of opinion upon any one point. It would be a good thing indeed for the country if it were possible to break up existing parties altogether, and to recast the party lines of the House, establishing for each side a clearly defined platform upon which members could range themselves under easily distinguishable banners; but until that happens it would be the height of folly to displace the present administration and replace it by such a chameleonic congeries such a " fortuitous concourse of atoms," as would be presented by a Ministry consisting of thorough-going Protectionists sitting side by side with ultra-Free-traders, big block champions associated with believers m a policy of small farm settlement, extravagant Educationists and educational iconoclasts. Before the Opposition, as at present constituted, can hope to retain, even if it should succeed m gaining the reins of power, its leaders must contrive to ?gree upon some common platform — a contingency which m view of their recent platform utterances appears to be exceedingly remote.
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Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1600, 4 July 1887, Page 2
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565The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, JULY 4, 1887. MIXED TEAMS. Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1600, 4 July 1887, Page 2
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