The Dominion. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1912. A SORRY SPECTACLE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1365, 16 February 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1912. A SORRY SPECTACLE.

At the general elections the country elected a House of Representatives a majority of the members of which were directed to turn the "Liberal" Government out of office. This special session of Parliament has been called in order to give effect to the country's verdict. Yet one would suppose from the mnnocuvrings of the Government, and its undisguised anxiety to do anything to convertits minority into a sort of majority, that the election signified nothing, that it decided nothing, and that the people and the people's will count for nothing. One would suppose that Sir Joseph Waiid and his friends regarded the election result as merely a tough problem in tactics set by a nation of gamesters; that the mil ion had no political object in returninc; a majority pledged to cast ''Liberalism" out. And, indeed, ve really bejieve that our "Liberal" friends do think that nothing mailers but Ihe retention of office, at no matter whar cost; that it is 1 h<?ir business lo ghe the nation I slip if they can posBiWy tnnnsgß H. During (his »-pnl< ** 1 however, the public will be able

to turn its eyes away from the frantic manoeuvring of the Government and realise what that manoeuvring means. No doubt it is natural that a degenerate party, suddenly and unexpectedly called to account, roughly awakened from its delusion tli.it it was immortal, should be incapable of thinking of anything but how to avoid death. They arc unable to realise what death means; ihey eaiinot fully believe that defeat has come upon them—and in the mad welter of their terror and agony they could hardly be expected to remember that the election was a sober and unsentimental judgment: against them and that the people who sentenced them to death as ;\ party did so with the desire that the sentence should be carried out. } If the "Liberals, , ' inside and outside the House, do not realise this, the rest of the nation—which is a majority of tho nation—does realise it. The Government is striving still, as it has been striving ever since December 15, to evade the judgment of the nation. It simply will not do. In almost any other country, the Government, in such circumstances as the present, would have lost no time in summoning Parliament to give a clear and undisturbed expression of the people's will. But in other countries Governments are accustomed to constitutional action; they know their duties on such occasions, and they do not attempt to cling to office at any cost. The present behaviour of the Ward party is another proof of the demoralising effect of too-long-contimicd power. It fancies that, it is not called upon to do anything but prevent any other Government taking its place. Of course it is perfectly clear to most people, and will soon be clear to everybody, that what the Government is fighting is, not the Iteform party in Parliament, but the nation that gave its commands at the elections in December. If the Reform party had won 50 seats in December, the Government would still have sought to retain office. It would have endeavoured to bribe members to break their pledges (since nothing but a bribe could induce n member to_ commit the political and moral suicide of forswearing himself and betraying his constituents), and it would have hoped to avert, dismissal by making all kinds of promises of repentance and reformation. In that event the true character of its proceedings would be very plain to everybody. It is only the fact that the majority against the Government is a very small one that blinds some people to the undignified and dishonourable course that the "Liberals" arc so foolishly pursuing.

The fact from which nobody can escape is that the 76 European constituencies returned -10 members expressly to vote the Government out of office. Dn. Pomake's vote makes a clear majority of the House. The (jovcrnment hones, however, to alter these figures. Having exhausted ii« temptations to individual members to dishonour themselves, it is hoping to nullify the decision of the electors by making legislative promises that it fancies will lead some of those members to break their, election pledges. We need hardly say that nothing but scorn or laughter will greet any promises as to "legislation that the Government can make at this time of day. If it had been able to save from its moral and political wreck even a little sense of humour, the Government would sec how supremely absurd it will appear if, as its organs hint will be the case, it tries to escape disaster by death-bed promises regarding legislation. It is not a pleasant sight—this spectacle of a Government fighting desperately to evade the judgment, of the people, and ready to descend to any depth of folly in the vain hope o'l clinging to office. Wo are disposed to believe it possible that even when it is formally defeated in the House the Government will still refuse to resign. Is there nobody in the "Liberal" ranks able to persuade the Government that the nation is grimly watching the farce, and waiting for its opportunity to show the "Liberals" that politics is not a game of poker so far as it is concerned ? I