The Dominion. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1909. OFFICE V. PRINCIPLE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 610, 13 September 1909, Page 6

The Dominion. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1909. OFFICE V. PRINCIPLE.

' It is impossible to read without approval the long article in which our evening contemporary, on Saturday last, arraigns and convicts the Government of tho intention/to abandon its land policy, and to abandon'it, not openly for all men to see, but "silently, sccretly, and surreptitiously," as tho lato Mr. Seddon would say, by quiotly permitting the country to understand that it no longor adheres to its principles. Our contemporary's damning analysis of the situation revealed by , the circumstances, attending the contest for the Bangitikei seat is a useful ono| as it sots out clearly arid in full detail what most people who tako any intorcst in political questions have noticod for- themselves. It might havo been made more complete by a reference, to' tlio' recent statements of- Ministers rogarding what thoy aro now ready to'believe—-and what, in tha hope .that thflj. con m&ko ttair iinpouding fall

less ignominious, they ■ are anxious that | the public should also believe —is tho-lack-of warrant for the importance which is attached to tho question of Crown land tenure. The Ministers who in 1907 Bpoko of tho leasohold policy ab a thing supremely sacred and important are today, '. when they see that they can no longer uphold that policy against tho commands of common sonso and tho will of the country, fevorishly complaining that there is an inclination to mako tho question of tenuro.'.'a.fetish." Now, wo are noither very glad nor very sorry that the Govomment'is preparing to swallow its words and boar the ignominy of confessing that office is dearer to it than principle. We aro not very sorry, for two reasons, the first of which is that the public will be enabled to rcaliso tho character of tho - Government,. whilo tho second is the fact that the soonor we got back'to a sound land policy tho better. The failure of tho ' Government's impending surrender to fill us with transports of ■ delight is due simply to tho fact that the causo of the freehold would •'in'- any case' very quickly, triumph against the trickery of a discredited Government. '

■ We may safely leave our evening contemporary and the other sincere believers in the leasehold system to settle their quarrel with the Government without our interference. As a matter of fact, their: bitter trouble does not greatly interest us. We may bo permitted to observe, however, that it will bo a' very instructive thing if the betrayed Radicals still' continue, their allegiance to . the Government. For it is Quito" likely that although they will know the Government to be one without any principles' and onequite unworthy of support, they may feel that this discredited-Executive ■ may yet •bo a useful tool for the furtherance of .other Radical policies.. For a time, perhaps, this plan may Work, but we do not ■think that when "they contemplate the few tomporary successes that they may achieve the honest men amongst the Radicals will svor quite forget that those triumphs are tainted .ones. The .position 'in which the Government ,is placing'.'fc self can best be understood by imagining a.parallel case in Great Britain. Let us suppose that'it became quite clear that the British public were bent on having tariff reform. Is it conceivable that the Asquith Government would descend .to tho depths to which the New Zealand Government is: quite prepared to descend? Would the Government support for ono moment—would it not rather oppose tooth and nail—any candidate at a by-election, who advocated the abandonment of Freetrader Can anyone imagine Lord I Mo'rley or Mr. Lloyd-George assuring the public that it is absurd to "make a fetish" of Freotrado, that Freetrade is really a mero detail 1 ! Of course not. .Such things are •inconceivable.; The brain Bimply: cannot visualise, impossibilities 'so grotcsquo. . Supposing, further, that the country returned to Parliament a majority for tariff reform. Could there be a moment's doubt as to ;■what Mr. AsquitH: would do? Ho .would 1 resign on the'first fiscal challenge? Hold;, ing, with all his colleagues,; that ; Free-, trade is essentiarto the, nation's wellbeing, ho would'.'consider that he had no duty but to go into Opposition and,op-, poso the new doctrine :with all - his hoart and soul. But .in Britain' tho . statesmen place principle, boforo offico. ;They are hot prepared'to' betray their cdpsciences' by-: ignomiriiously ' swallowing ' thi>ir 'policy in a desperato desiro to: enjoy the substantial fruits of piaco and' power." :

When tho Government 'introduced its Land Bill in 1806—tho Bill by which it .would stand or fall—ovon the most sceptical of utrhad a momentary doubt' as to whether the Government might ' not be after all capablc of'holding a fixed opin-' ion for, once.!. The energy and' Vigour of Ministers' speeches in ; 1007, when the re:vised legislation' was passed, produced thoi same temporary illusion 'for a second time. But there is no illusion now. The Government- has crowned its career of extravaganceand its'unremitting use of the public's money to buy support in' order to retain office• and its' emoluments, .by a- ; confession that it is ready to purchase a continuance of the sweets of, offico by taking tap an : attitudo .which our .evening contemporary is forced to consider as romark'able as anything in all tho history of political tergiversation. No doubt an Jltiompt will bo made : to' misrepresent our comments a.B an attack upon the Government for taking up what wo have urged as the correct policy. Let us be quite clear. Wo are glad that tho freehold cause is triumphing. Buti'we cannot congratulate the Government for coming round, to oiir viows, because we-- do not;, for a single instant bolioye that there iB any ; moro sincerity in its new attitude than in its' old ono. While, however, it is'well that a bad land policy is on the point of being discarded, we should be failing in our duty if we neglected' to point out that tho- Government which 'shows itself roady to sell itself to the highest bidder;and to abandon its main policy in its anxiety to retain-office, is wholly- unworthy of the respect or confidence of the peo'plei The supporters of the freehold system must remember that a Government which, can so 1 easily forget:'its recent, pledges:can betray;tho freehold jsube as easily as it can betray, any other cause. Consequently, the guardians of the'.freehold pplicy must be on their, guard in the coming session against trickery. •; • The cause of tho. farmer, will not.be Bafe-rno -good cause can ever c6nsider itself safe— until the power of tho Waed Government ia broken. ,' :