THE POLITICAL POSITION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1410, 10 April 1912, Page 6

THE POLITICAL POSITION.

gj r> _S,,ccess, or, rather, apparent temporary success, seems to be (he . only thing that counts with the unthinking section of the community, and things go to show that they don't care a dump whether such success be obtained by fair and honourable means or otherwise.

Referring to the late political crisis, (loos any elector in New Zealand think for one'moment that Mr. Massoy could not have offered the Labour members inducement to stick to him by offering them portfolios, and wild Socialistic legislation ad lib., similar to what has been offered them by Sir J. Ward? He could have done so quite easily if ho had descended to compromise his principles and political honesty. He naturally objected to being fleeced of pledged supporters and resented it, but he is in a much better position with tho faithful thirty-eight than if he had got in on the back of any one of tho Forty. Imagine Mr. Massey and his party in power by the vote of Mr. John Payne, for instance! Mr. John Payne would then be in a position to order scheme ,45, or any other freak Socialistic legislation he might think fit, or else put tho party out of office. Mr. Massey knows what he is doing, and there is not one of his followers who knows him who has the faintest doubt but that Mr. Massey is a good general and excellent leader, and the best man in the House to lead an honest and honourable Administration.

There is no doubt that Mr. Massey is seriously handicapped in dealing with the present political crisis by his honesty, but wii»n he comes to his own, which ho will in June next, this quality will keep him there. It were far bettor that ho remain in honourable opposition than get into power by pledging the country to Socialistic legislation and putting the fate of the. Dominion in the hands of four inexperienced members of Parliament. And yet on all hands we hear of the hero who kept the Liberal flag flying, the great general, the wily tactician. Admittedly he is a great orator and an excellent de. bater in the House, but who is the man behind him? Who supplied the brains? Who is the tactician who advised and bossed the great general and the Liberal party? The man who has the Native legislation of this country just how he wants it; the man who has put twenty million pounds into the pockets of tho industrious and non-taxed Maori at the expense of the white settler, who pays tin? rates; the man who could say who shall and who shall not get Native land through the Court; the man the Into Mr. Seddon always turned to for advice on matters of tactics; the man who pulled the late great general's coat in the House when he became indiscreet; the man who is the most brilliant orator in the House and yet was never heard, and why? Because the Liberal party was afraid to let the peoplo into the secret. He has all the subtleness of two races; he is the greatest soft-soaper in New Zealand, and he could always come to light with the right gag at the right time to capture the popular fancy which mado him the very life of the Liberal party, which kept him away from the limelight for fear some section of the community would object to the country being run by a man who ha 3 some Native blood in his veins.

It is to be hoped that all supporters of honest government, especially those who voted for the Reform party at last election, and stand to their colours. Political honesty and integrity must win in the end. The Reform party has shed all the had ends, and stands out a 6olid block, 38 men good and true, tho strongest party ia the House. 'What can the other sido do with their miscellaneous collection of leaseholders, freeholders, brewers, Prohibitionists, Socialists, capitalists, and largo runholders? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Their only effective -weapon against the Reform party is a contemptible lie. They say the l?«form party are Tories and Conservatives, because the Opposition in Sir William Russell's days was Conservative. They know quite iroll that to-day the large landholders are not behind tho Reform party,. The "fat man" has not helped the Reform party one bit, and has given, nothing either in funds or. influence. It has been stated that the Reform party fought tho last election with only •CGOO, all that they had; whereas tho brewers and monopolists spent thousands for the Ward Government, and they cannot deny it.—l am, etc., REFORMER.