The Dominion. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1907. THE TALK OF COALITION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 32, 1 November 1907, Page 6

The Dominion. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1907. THE TALK OF COALITION.

Recextly ' some papers have had a good deal to say concerning the pros-' pect of a coalition between the-Govern-ment-anil the' Opposition, and, to'our surprise, not one of our contempdraries appeared to doubt the possibility, or oven the probability, of such an event. For ourselves, we hardly considered that the discussion was worth comment, but, as'there appears to be a renewal of the suggestion that Mr. Msftsey might _ profitably join forces with the Premier in order to combat the Socialists,, it seems to us worth while calling attention to some important facts which the contributors to the recent symposium of opinions have overlooked.. Let us first take the fact that, a great many people think an anti-Socialist coalition- worth discussion. What does that fact mean? From a journalistic pulpit which .is generally to reflect the opinion of the : Ministry, we were recently, told that it would not be surprising if the Opposition, differing from the Government "on no important question of principle," were to ask for annexation by the Government, and that the future political battle would be waged, not between Conservatism and Liberalism, but between "progressive Liberalism" and "fanatical Labour Socialism." "We pointed out at the time the real fact, that requires repetition here, in these terms: ' / The very fact that tbo "State Socialists" aro beginning to hint nt tho imminonco of "t>nntl«al Labour Socialism" illustrates tbo danger of playir.g with firo. Tho natural oxplnnation of tho imminonco of that dau"<jr is that it is tho logical outcome of tho State Socialism. which tho Attorney-Gonoral mid his journalistic frionds proudly admit as their policy. Socialism is coming, not in spite of tho sops which tho Government has thrown to tho Radicals, but because of tho appetite and boldness which those -sops have created.

Nothing that the avowed Socialists outside Parliament have done explains the-anxiety of the advocates of coalition. The explanation is to he found; in tho surrender of the Government to the little knot of clever and enthusiastic Socialists whose cleverness, an'd not whose Socialism, got them into Parliament. People are beginning;, to

understand the drift of the Government's policy, and the talk of coalition merely reflects a general public fear that the Government has not only gone too fast, but has encouraged the Radicals to call for still more speed. So far as the Opposition is concerned, its conscience is clear. It has sounded its warning, and has got in return nothing but abuse. Coalition should have, in the present circumstances, no attraction for Mr. Massoy and his party. As a prominent member of the party insists, in an interview which we print to-day, the Opposition arc not a band of office-seekers. Reduced to small dimensions by their fidelity to principle through a decade remarkable for the demoralisation of the public conscience by a gigantic system of patronage and the conversion of the Treasury into a vote-catching the Opposition has, nevertheless, retained its credit amongst sober men, and has had a remarkably large influence-on the legislation of the country. There is, in point of principle, a great deal in common between the Opposition policy and the real feeling of flie moderate men on the Government side, but, as is well stressed in our interview, those moderate men have been sacrificed to appease tho wild minority that looks to Mr. Fowlds and Mr. Laurenson for guidance and aid. ' Between the Ministerial policy, however, and the principles for which the Opposition has unwearyingly contended, there is a gulf that cannot be bridged iinless the Government escapes from its'servitude to Socialistic ideas on the one hand, and from the bad traditions of the past decade's administrative methods on the other. If the Government and its friends are wise, they will realise that the talk of coalition merely means that sober men are growing alarmed at the possibilities of State Socialism, or progressive Liberalism, or whatever it may call itself. As the Government has made the menace ;of fanatical Socialism a real one, it is the Government's business, and not the Opposition's, to take the necessary steps to avert the danger. A coalition' might be for the Government an easy way out, of the difficulties which it has made for itself, and which, if the AttorneyGeneral is to be taken as an authority, it intends to accentuate by heaping more fuel on that fire of Radical ambition which is blazing so high as to alarm and surprise even, the stokers. But unless we mistake the temper of the Opposition, the prospect is not an alluring one, and is not even worthy of consideration until the Governinent throws oif the yoke of the Socialist wing.