THE CAUCUS OF DESPAIR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1394, 21 March 1912, Page 6

THE CAUCUS OF DESPAIR.

A great many simple people will ■ wonder why the wire-pullers of the Spoils party have displayed such intense activity in arranging, as an overture to to-day's caucus, an exceedingly humorous arpeggio of proWard resolutions. We all know how the thing is done—we can see the operator's hand running along the rural keyboard : Boxburgh, Okoroire, Apiti, Waiuku, Tc Puke, Otorohanga, Waharoa, Matamata, Kaeo, Bangiwahia, Patea, Stratford—these are only the latest of them. Everybody, as we have said, knows how the thine is done—the urgent telegram to the naralet, the meeting of "two_ or three "true blues," the fat resolution, the solemn circulation of the ''large and enthusiastic meeting of Liberals." But what most people will find themselves unable to guess is, why is it clone 3 What, they must be wondering, is the meaning- of this Ward boom 1 In Wellington on Tuesday a number of "true blues" met, very softly and secretly, and added their note to the overture. They arc to be complimented upon having avoided passing their resolution as the decision of "this meeting of Wellington citizens"; they spoke in their own'names as "Liberal, supporters and friends of tho Prijie Minister. 1 ' But like the unnamed persons in the rural hamlets who leapt into sound under the linger of the operator, they begged the Prime Minister to reconsider his decision to retire.

We need hardly point out that these good people have overlooked the fact that they are inviting their hero to forswear himself. But of course we are living in a time just now when broken faith has ceased to smell ill in "Liberal" nostrils. It is broken faith that has saved "Liberalism" for the time being, and nobody need wonder that "Liberalism" is thereby corrupted in its judgment, and unable to realise, as "Liberals" will realise later on, in calmer weather, exactly what they have been doing in inviting the Prime Minister to follow in the footsteps of Messrs. Payne and Robertson. Perhaps the local "Liberals" may have intended merely to give their over-lord a final opportunity of refusing office, and of reducing to-day's deputation to tears of sorrowful reverence for bis statesmanlike magnanimity in keeping his solemn pledge to Parliament. To such a depth has "the great Liberal party" fallen in its ' day of darkness. It is not a pretty sight, and hero we may leave this aspect of the Ward boom. Our own opinion is that the Prime Minister will carry out the letter of his pledge by resigning his office and declining any portfolio. Secretly, we rather fancy, lie will be glad to leave, for he has left such a legacy of injury to the country through- misgovernment—as tho, country will very shortly be unable to avoid seeing—as he will be glad to leave others to repair. In the meantime there is no more certainty in any quarter than there was yesterday as to the shape _ in which the Spoils party's executive will emerge from the caucus. The personnel of the new Ministry matters very little to the country, however it may matter to the anxious "Liberals" outside Parliament and the still more anxious "Liberals" inside. The country has made up its mind that so long :is the "Spoils" party sits on the Treasury benches it will merely continue the inisgovernment against which a. i|i\ile clear verdict was given last December, and agonist which, on Die next occasion, the decision will be fill 1 beyond the utmost resources of evasion through dishonour and infxigue. Look where tbry will, I.he supporters of the party in power can sei? uo hope of success. They cannot ally thcrawjvp,* with tho Lnbour party, because the act of alliance

I would detach thiisc members who [ I shrink from. 111'.; Labour programme. ! They cannot dispense with Labour's . aid. "Liberalism," in short, is j broken up. For the present it is Li i power: the moment it mows, and it cannot stay in office without moving in some direction, it will fall to pieces. This is so clear that thousands of honest supporters of the, party must wonder sometimes why (lie agony is to be prolonged. Th>;y probably believe thiit statesmanship can somehow save Hie situation. They do not know that the truth is that there is an inner circle, of the "Liberal" part" and that there are still some good things available for the hand of patronage.