The Dominion TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1911. POLITICS AND CONSCIENCES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1051, 14 February 1911, Page 4

The Dominion TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1911. POLITICS AND CONSCIENCES.

'In a -speech at Duncdin on Friday last the Hon, J. "A. Millar talked for a little about himself, his "fo and his aspirations, and ho was very interesting. But ho was most interesting when he digressed into, some plain truths about some of his fc low members of the House. "With all duo rcspcct to public men," ho said, 'ho.wished to say this:, If they would bo a little straighter from tho tho platform and express thqir candid opinions, and hot say what they thought, would eatell',votes, it would w all the better for them and for the country, _ Diplomacy was no doubt a very nice word, but it often got men into trouble, and its effects often camo home to roost'. He had seen some men tremble in their shoes aftercasting their, votes;, others would telegraph to'constituents.asking how they should vote. ,Ho did not believe m conduct like that." .It is no small cpmphment. that wo pay Mr. Millar when we say that ho is tho only member of the. Ministi-y who could dare to say this, for although Mn. Millar himself has probably made '?>v lt , uso now- and then of the diplomacy" that ho condemns, ho lias often had tho couragc of his opinions. This would mako him conspicuous anywhere,, but it gives him a special conspicuoUsncss in a Ministry every other member of which N lives with , his ear to tho ground, ready at any moment to range himself with what appears to bo tho popular cry for the moment. How Mr. Millar, the staunch leaseholder, comes to remain in a Ministry which, holding no fixed opinion upon the land question,, is as ready to betray, the leaseholders as to befool the 'freeholders, is certainly not olear to tho plain liian who shares the views expressed'by Mr. Millar in Duncdin. Mn. Millar, moreover, owes his. present position to that very opportunism and shuffling of his fellows which ho condemns: for if membors of Parliament voted according to their- convictions—or, in the caso of thoso who have no convictions, according to'thoir pledges— 'the Ward Administration' would havo collapsed long ago. It rests upon the willingness and ; ability-of its supporters to bo "this or that as it may_ happen." Despite all this, however, it can be said of Mr. Millar—and it cannot be said, of any ono of his colleagues—that on occasion he will not allow expediency to triumph over his personal opinions. And it is a pleasant thing to have oven this'imnerfcct witness against tho curse of New Zealand politics.' The perfection' of "the - party machine" 'in Great Britain has produced somo depressing weaknesses in tho work of government, but in Britain the party in powor always docs stand for somo clear principles, and is prepared always to, go out of office in, defence of them. Here tho.Opposition has a clear, constructive policy, but tho Government has no fixed pdlicy savo tho retention of office, which it carries out by fawning to and purchasing tho support of every clique and faction and interest and district that can apply sufficient pressure. Yet there are distinct points of rcsemblapca.between the conditions in Britain and tho conditions here. In tho.Ninetccnth Century for January Mr.- Harold Cox, one of tho ablest of British publicists, and universally considered the ono perfectly independent politician in Britain, pleads for tho Referendum as n cure for the "intellectual dishonesty" that is "compelled" by' the party system. Members* of Parliament, ho admits, are in themselves lis honest as other people:

■ But even boforo tlioy are eloctcd tlioy have to learn how diflicult it is in political life to give a straight answer to n straight question. Tliu candidate is nssniloil at tho outset of his doctoral campaign with deputations ■ from groups of people all asking him to promise to sup. nort their particular l'ad. Unless tho ind happens to bo incorporated in tho party programme it will bo very dangerous for the candidate to ciyo a straight answer, for he may liml that the party wire-pul-lers talsii an opposite view, and in that com it will be difficult for him to readjust hi* position*

It is only a sign of tho times that Mr. Hilaire Belloc, in tho Fortiiighlly i?ct'icuV; simultaneously "indicts .tho working! of the party systom. He says bluntly that tho reputation of. politicians, is coming into contempt, .and that this is the natural result /of tho insincerity and makc-bcliove of tho political "game." According to Mr. Belloc, there is not in England any class that knows less—<>thcr things being equal—of the English people than the professional politicians'. Wo have quoted Mh. Belloc because his suggested solvent of tho evils that- distress him—lis is not without hope of ; bettor things—. brings ua back again to Mr. iMillar. Mr. Belloc thinks that the "game," tho insincerity and the make-Dclievo and the powor of'the party Whips, can be spoiled by ten,sincere rrien, no matter' what':;their-. politics, who would speak exactly tho truth 'as they saw it. Mr. Millar seems to have arrived, in his own way; _ at something liko the same conclusion. He is in a particularly good position to know the fears'and vacillations of the crowd who'aro.constantly.torn between tho,. dread ( of. offending Sir Joseph Ward !antl the dread, of. running against ~thq- sentimentof. their ■parishes. ..;No doubt, if pressed, he would admit,, that, if every' member of the, House were,to vpte,'Honestly for a week,tho would burst into fragments,' never again to reappear in its present shapo and character. We have . great, hopes that, quite apart from the dealing of a heavy blow'to, thb. Government, the election at the end of, this year, will produce tho equivalent of Mr. Belloc's "ten rapn." : Mr..' Millar has said onougH-to Icavo little room fOr hope that they will bo supporters of, the present Government. In 1 the very nature of:things they would bo opponents of it, since the Prime Minister has often enough-shown that his hostility to Mr,.Massey and his friends is as nothing'.to his hostility to tho—Govcrnmciitwho tries to keep a little bit. of his soul jri:his''oWh..p6ssessi6ri. J J}* y.