The Press. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1913.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14838, 2 December 1913, Page 6

The Press. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1913.

WHAT IS --LIBERALISM?" The Reform candidate for Lyttelton, Mr aiiller, will probably not feel greatly displeased that his. candidature is drawing two and a half angry editorial articles per day from the organ of the "Liberals" and their "fellow progressives" tho Red Feds. Ho will surmise from this fact that the anti-Ro-formers are very far from happy as to "the fato of their numerous 'candidates in a seat .which they would have said a little time a_o was. invincibly "Liberal." But Mr Miller and "tho rest of us would gladly forgo this compliment to the progress of Reform sentiment if our "Liberal*' friends would give up the tinio and space they are expending upon . the importance of rallying against the Reform candidate to an exposition of "Liberalism's" policy. When Mr Hannan stood as * 'the Opposit ion ca nd "date" in Grey, we hoped that he would take the law into his own hands and outlino a policy. Ho did not do so, and ho was firmly rejected on the first ballot. Perhaps Mr Laurcnson may repair tho ©mission of the leaders of the party with which ho has so strongly associated himself. In tho meantime the "Liberals" aro intensely indignant that the public, persists in treating "Liberalism-" as a means of Red Fedism, or vice versa. It is absurd, we are told,, to call Mr Laurcnson, or Mr Radcliffe, or oven Dr. Thacker, a Red Fed. Certainly it is, but Sir Joseph Ward has shown us that one may be n capitalist and yet bo willing to fetch and carry for the Federation of Labour. In any event, there is an abundance of proof that tho "Liberal" Party's organs are deeply committed to the Red Fed policy. The local organ of tho Opposition heartily supported Mr P. C. "Webb between tho ballots at Grey, and recommended him to tho "Liberal" voters, not merely because he was opposed to the Government, but because his policy was actually agreeahle to "Liberals." Even after tho election, when it was under no obligation to appeal for votes, it went out of its way to enunciate the closeness of the bonds uniting the "Liberals" to tho R<*_ Feds. It said, on July 31st ~;,'la*tj__ .-■' r _\ ;*T-io Liberals supported Mr, Webb ; ; because they knew that nine-tenths of ,|i» policy was their own, and that the r.otfaer -tenth was not fit civ to impair i usefulness in Parliament." -. * la * a the Wellington

Opposition journal had said the same thing no less strongly, as follows:— Mr Webb is something more than a Syndicalist. He is the President of the Federation of Labour, which aims at tho same ultimate political objective as the Liberal Party. It may bo disposed to make the pace hotter than the Liberals have hitherto been prepared to proceed, but what of that, so long as tho two parties aro traversing parallel progressive lines? If one is not to deduce from these authoritative statements of tho character and tendency of "Liberalism" tha. a man who supports the "Liberal" Party, as at present managed, lends himself to tho services of the Red Feds, what aro wo to deduce? It is not as if these statements wero minor declarations of "Liberal" policy; they are positively tho only clear and definite thing "Liberalism" has told us about itself sinco it went into Opposition.