The Drift of Polities.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 698, 24 December 1909, Page 12

The Drift of Polities.

I (BY HAROLD COX, M.P.)

-is . one •of tho pdoniiaritiea of; tho party system „of'\ nolitics..' that ■ it .obecuros the ' real development of political., thought by preserving politipl; names. long after' they: have :ceaEeS to have their'.oi'iginal'meaning" . . j On this theme Mr. Harold Cox, Liberai M.P. for r Preston, ; delivered ~.n. vnlunble address -in Glasgow .oh i.Ocotber 18 last. Take first the Liberals,:ho said. There ivas a timo when Liberalism . was 'identified .with /liberty.: :Maniy people in, his :audieiico' apparently, thought it was still, and therefore' jiist—rlie'wbuld not say 4s ;a : ;corrective, of their opinions, brit .as . a standard by .which they, might, judge their own opinions-7-he;propbsed'.to quote to them a definition, of ' Liberalism, .given by Sir William. Karcburt;in. 18i3. That recognised authority sajd;Z/'A/,despotic Government. tries 'to/: make do. what;;it;,wislies. /A 'Liberat' Gov-' crnmont :tries as fav.- aa tho. .safety, .of - society will- permit to. allow everybody to do what.he thd/Libo'ral party' cbnsisteiltly' to ddctrinO' 1 of : prabtido :of •:ftllbwiHg/one set of people' tb'. dictate id- tmothdr ."set of peoplo what they shall do, what they, shall •think; .'what' they; shall, drinki/wheh 'they. shall go to 'bed,'what ; they shall' buy, * what wages' tlicy. shall (jet;' arid' how they shall ; spend '.them', tigainst'.which".the Liberal party lias always protested." He (Jrr. Cox) Imped and believed thnt protest' dgainst this' interference 'with Individual-liberty, btit ,lie did,-liofc think any. of them could quite can-, didly 'say'that'tho 'Liberal'. 'pai.ty ,••' as -'a' party. ; now set. its'face Jn the same direction-as that ; .whidh: Harcoiirt' indicated.: Passihg ;tO another important jbrancll.. .of ■; public life, economy, there .was B''t{inbi;Mr.''.CpX';said,- ' ? when.- Libcrmisni '.was' identified; with economy in/p.ubHc/oxpc.hditure;; '.Tliey .could till- reidember-' the old - battle cry# ""Peace.' rotrenohinbSt,' and .reform!" Was . that , still ; they dry ?. Hav- ; iiig; recalled how 31r.' Gladstone daily Worked for.' economy,,"he; mentioned , the j protest/made •in l901 : by Sir Henry'Foivler ngtiinst .the Bud-' get of . .the ..Conservative Government- of that year; beCause''it did not'exhibit that regard for econbhty l 'which'the; alarming, increase;''which' had:'re6ently i ;.tnkdn.;placo: in :the -normal oi-': . penditurc of: the ' country ■ imperatively;, -de--man'ded; Tho expenditure of : that year which Sii"Henry'' I'owlef protested- tigainst. amounted , 'ih; ;rduiid' figures ito : On s the 'samo basis': that, wis -Allowing .for, tho. same,'sinking , ;fund,the'expendituvo in;,the. year .was ifilCC,Boo,ooo, ail increase of 800,000; in^ eight, years. ' .Thnt hardly. suggested :.ccbnomy ;iri: all Pepartmefits; of the: State.-/ ; He had worked out; what'' thdSe: millions: would' have; meant ; . in re- . diiction'"of- taxation - 'suppose 1 they-" had : merely Rone back- to tho expenditure .which tiie -Lib- - ' brhl'/qonddlniieil'M.csc6ssivo.;!' : ,Thby .^o'ttld !: havo ! taken"'3d?; off'.'ihd 'incbtnb'■-tax,/23.-; "off 1 tea,"and ' aboiishfedV.the'.;whole. of the/ sugar duty. -" Jlr. : Co.t al?o showed tliat the Libcrul' Government Md for-just'Wer. Kalf of «thd: iticreaSMl expenditure in the eight years.' Kvo'ry-. ■,body.'of fioiU'se: would say/that that ■ was acc'ountdd • for bv! old ago - peisibris, jbiit.'.it 'wab liot,! -hecnuse' that ' only "acconnted ;,foY; about- : out of tho total. If was accounted forV and he' said:it without.the'least:hpsitation, by recklcss -cxtravaganco jin :'every-.T>epartment ' of' 'the : Government. .The Liboray ' party:; had ' abandoned its old -lovo of economy;; and ;;waß adopting .what .they-',wero in. the,habit r of -attributing theiropponents,;' lpyo)_of s . ex>. ti'avagance. /' *:V ■- : - iVfter 'a discussion, of the -tariff; issue, Mr; - Cox to,- discuss ' the; evils',: of,' bureaucracy. wds at. : /sent: tiino/oh' the 'parfc 'bf botli parties.' an appeal , tp-pebplo'-.to be..envious of others rather than to exert, thomSdlves. As far he could eep : .under. lribdern,/ Liboralismevery/, person/' ;Vhb,. had . saved his." earnings / instead..,of/sponding ;btiltf fori. i>6!>W t 1 oridJ'urider^'jnoder'k':\Consor'va.tiSni:i:bv'oi7:'. , man. ; who' had' built' Hp ii/successful; business' would run. tho risk', of having it. ruined by. duties . ;ihtonded'.to.'bolstd-r, up .somo; ( oth'etV)industry. : Hbthvparties-:. to-day '-.•were';''■!"! teaching,'., rclihnco - ■lipOn Alip iSta&L iuWead,, of, roliiiico upon' one's 'of'.relying: upon''tho: State o.xcejt'by multiplying'State'officials. /That jvas what, w'ai" going on-: to-day : to, 'an/alarmlng;. .extent.'; :■ ;lt; :meattt i that ; 'a"trreat deal,df :busincss';'of, tho .country.; which'/was.-previously:'conducted, "by vindi.-.; . .viduals: ini'their: , 6\v'hV ; townV wns' nOSV-;Cdnffed in 'liOndbn.' 'it moan'that"itiwas/dono hny : better? He .-believed not. Tliesq ; ofiicials wcro exercising power without responsibility,', bo- . causo'. the 1 , permanent 'official .vjorke'd .in - the. .dark/.,'--His. na'mb ' was not .known,'! ; but. '.the , scratch,„of '-his quill ' pen/ ; or.: the -tick-tack "Of. 'his:' tyjidwrlter .'wpuld :.affect; the/ cOmfortj' boAf vflhicnce, and happiness of thousands ;.of human lHvhomo,ivß : ontrusted/.svlth this ,:tre'mcndbns,' f power -had' no.- special ;qualt.: ties fbr.'disbhai'gibg: it.''. r .l r ot : the; po,\vef: of' thbso officials.. •.'vi4rWhg;:'.inv;t'ho': : ;ilark' ; . was/ dvcry ' ( day growing;' greater/' atid hc had :;h'oW;, "obtained cphtrpl'S not"/ biily/oyer'. the .-'Exectitive / Govern-, merit;''butValso'' over:;the .Legislature;-,e.nd was 'fasti'obtairiirigTpoiyer/bvcr'tlie''judiciary.//Ho ,''(Mr. ! :.Cox) /ventured; to think that unless .the present'.: teniiencies.J.-were. .arrested, in," another generation or ,two /wo " would'/have /• in ,'Hhis .chantry Neither a'/free'; 1 Parliament' 'nbr.-opdn ctiur'ts' bf.'iaiv.;:.' Laws 'ivotild :and (.'decisions given",: ; by/nameless/bureaucrats .'.hidden aWay in ' Government '.oihees;./: That was ' strong language; to/use,: but .anybody: whb' had -'followfed the progress, of the .Finance Bill and .other recent -: legislation- would ■ liavo / seen - that the tferidencyof ■ all: recent:legislation ,was to take' power, .out,.'o'f/the'courts of . law; and: put jower' ihtb- v the hands, :'of:■ .the.. Govcrniiienf ofiicials. A /gobd'-.lliiiny. ~of^;;thobi< / ngreed -.that: jheSa vten'doiicieS(,:'at .'vahy- rate /ifa" their/eAreirib' .form/ w'ef.e'ttfndesifablo,''</;aiid' , ira-i'hdiyj cculd'w : rcsist' tiiem at hll ifive ' quietly allowed .oursblvbs. to'drift', along'.wjith .tlio-system/:. Xf/Svb ;wero: going :to/..resist:them/we'.must, lpbk: ahead arid/"see';-where Z 'current.< was. l moving," and ~ makd /Up/'Our! ininds.'.; If; it .'was moving in a Aftorig .direction] avb .must, divert- it .to ;p, :.better, 'course.'. Admitting;tliat:certain;things must"bd . don'o .cd.miriunally, • was';,that /any reason;' Jlr. ; : ; '-Cqx/'askcd,/why/tlicy' should ,so organiso .their 1 iboinmiiual: systeni o!" action' as to /deprive tho individual, of those motives of conduct which liad'made him an efiicient citizen?' V v; •iHe, cdriterided: that '..unlesswo basedour „sy s 7 . : tern'; ;of' ;.taxation—because-: almost/ everyth'irig : , came i' back •to / th'xatio'ri—oh'; sound ' ..we :sh"oUldf : find : ,.that/whild, we/wei-a; extending as;we' riivist ;iri : somo, directions tho action of; the:.cominuiuty/ive. ; had.sapped the. self-reliance ' of the. individual; and so-had sapped tlie. progress of tho community itself.-. .(Applauso.) There wero ' two-principles'lie - ventured .to lay: ' down 1 which'he .thought' werp fundamental, and' : whichraf'.i'carefully.;.observed^.would,:k'edp /; ,uk ■ clear tho/worst of theso".'dang'ers; ; The first , of T-tlioiii was wherever; dircct Service was-given' •for ;t.he benefit/of/tho;individual he; should 'pay . : ;,for; : that '''service :/.-'■: -It '. niight"' : be -'said::that; allhis : (Jlr. -. Cox's) principles Tvei-e >ery-;well; but the driftlwas too ; i strOiig for tliem. He did .-not" accept that view. Hoi thought/it/was a: dangerous-: and -cowai'dly: ; View. ;He .had: more in his/own; couritrynlOn,..tlihiv to./bßlievo, that;they,',would: ovor : coind.tp s^ch/fatWism'as-that. .They all.knew : : that; individual liberty ./was'. a /possession: too ; ;precious vto /bo. .lost./,:-Liberty: was '.absolutely essential .to.ihumaii: progress. f .They ; could ,riot, have progress without variety. .To make tho. contrast .they could not; have ..variety without liberty; but,, iuore. than that, liberty '.was ari :. : :' it;/; Thoy. all ._ • iw&iiteti;;.' outndev'inMerenee'- ;«rith*;"tKeii -Lijjtii. ' '.actions;- ■,Tliey all', wanted' liberty'-."to.think; 'to tp.i.sell, -to-risk .'a/loss, in- the Jtope of;realising^a.-.gain./:;.,TJiese.:wero; thi"ngs : .for/which the:human' race .was.always, striving,.'arid;he.-ventured>tp think- that, this ' present fashion of.iappealirig-.'to,State tyraririy, whether:', it lid ' in: the- shape of: Socialism ; or whether :it bo.in/the- shape of Tariff: Beform," would : riot)be of. lorig duration,; and : that in the/future .as in/.tho: past Englishmen and.' Scotsmen together would -: lead " the world in working for the enlargement of human liberty.