The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 1912. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1393, 20 March 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 1912. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

The members of the Spoils party are beginning to arrive in town in preparation for to-inorrow's business of finding a new leader, and most of them are probably as much in the dark as to what will happen as is the man in the Btrcet. It would bo amusing and instructive to turn back the pages and contrast with tho unhappy position of that party to-day its arrogance and prior to December 7 last; but it is not really necessary. The facts of the Spoils party's position are as plain to everyone as they are painful to the people who were awakened so rudely from their dream that the country had sunk into an inability to prevent itself from being preyed upon by the "Liberals" for ever. The object of the caucus is, not to promulgate a great policy, not to take the nation's interests into consideration, to organise a new plan of campaign, not to strengthen its executive committee: the purpose of the gathering is simply a readjustment- of leadership that may lead the public to forgive the party its sins. There is not a "Liberal" who docs not know thai the game is up; and there cannot be many "Liberals" unaware that the Ration's unlj, new emotion is ojic of

amused curiosity. Taking the Prime Minister at his word—"'l ask my fellow citizens to judge us by deeds, not words,'' be said in concluding his fleet ion-diiy niii;iii'c:-.io — ;he iiH'.iuii sentenced the Government to death. It is only because, certain members betrayed their trust that the sentence was not carried out. The verdict remains, however, and the nation is merely hardened in its opinion. Nothing'has happened since December 14 to incline the people to revise their opinion of the Spoils party; o the contrary, the Ministry, by making a flagrant- misuse of its power, has heaped up the score against it. The task before the parly is an exceedingly difficult one, because almost every member of it is the product n f twenty years of "Liberalism" and therefore rather . more concerned about himself than about the party. The country's interests, of course, enter not at all into their calculations. There appear to be indications that the mutual jealousies of the members of the caucus will necessitate the selection, as chieftain, of some harmless and colourless member like Mr. Macdoxald, whose chief merit will be that he does not stand for.anything in particular, and will accordingly not instantly split the party into" halves. But we need not speculate as to what people will do who do not know what they will do. The Labour members, it is probable, will not attend the caucus, so that the country will enjoy the spectacle of a minority of the House meeting to decide who shall control the government of tho country. In recent years the nation has been led into forgetting many sound principles of government and to take as a matter of course lines of conduct _on the part of their rulers which in any normal country would excite amazement and indignation. There has, however, been a sharp awakening of public oninion; the old apathy ha: gone, and in its place there is already a wholesome alertness to comprehend and condemn those shabby political manoeuvres which the Spoils party still pathcticallv imagines to be as useful as in past years. No doubt some sort of a Prime Minister will he chosen—whose name, by the way. will doubtless be graven on the foundation etonc of the new Parliament Buildings—and he will construct some sort of a Cabinet; and tlie disappointed ones will go home boiling and sour. It is only a rather shabby little episode in the last chapter of the Spoils party's control of affairs; and whatever reconstruction is made can ill no way affect the final result, which will be the early liberation of tho country from the chain:; of corrupt government that have galled it for so many years.