MR. MASSEY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1486, 8 July 1912, Page 7

MR. MASSEY.

AN APPRECIATION. .*"' [BX-,4 EEFOBM VOTER.] Many a time in recent years the write* has heard some, fellow-supporter 01 the political reform movement complain uf Mr. Massey in a momentary fit of depression. And most often tho bitterest thing that his critic could say of him was: "Massey is a fool; ho is too beastly honest to succeed in politics." It may often have uppearod a weakness, Him flagrant honesty of tho Reform leader; flyiiess and triokincss seemed often to have bueu. qualities that ho ought to have developed. A disregard for. tho truth (either by (silence, or in speech),' a'*kill in hitting below the belt—how ,often, hiiiio-.. of his ardent friends, in their eXuspoYu-' (ion, wonia havo liked to lw ablo to- seatlfeso in him. Yet Ms honesty has been his' best asset in tho ond, for little bv Jiltloit has forced itself upon his friends and opponents, as tho groat thing about Id's character, and when ho comes into office everyone will know that straightforwardness will bo tho rulo of government. " " lhoro is honesty, courage, and kindliness in his appearance, and these are nis thrco cardinal qualities. It was said,, onco of Burke that ho could not go into oven a stable without the dullest hostler realising that a great man had como in., And it can ho said of Mr, Massey that nobody, however dull, could, 011 mere); seeing him, fail to recognise "a good sort' In. his very walk, a light swaggei oddly linked to tho firmness of a strong and burly tread, there is tho signal of a cheerful, candid, and fitout-hearted eomV Bill Massey," fits him as well as ''Mr. Massey," and there never was a man who so well filled his name. Those who know, . him, whether they support or oppose his views (they all like him immensely as h man), ara convinced^ that ho •'■ will be■> easily the most popular Prime Minister'' tins country has ever had, Ho is well known in this island, but not so well mown in tho south. 'Whorovcr ho has gone, however, ho has mado political as well as personal friends.- No doubt a good deal of tho astonishing enthusiasm and' delight with which ho has everywhere been received in the courso of his speech, making tours, was due to the ripe of the reform snirit, but most of it was created by Mr. Massey himseJf, < ' ' ■■ • Ho has his faults as a politician and as a Parliamentarian, but in the light of tho plcasuro with which his triumph lias been received all over tho country— ,1 I ,S IVO ,A ni KM' , ncd by tho fact that it - is Bill himself who is to ■ receivo '■' the '■ crown of his .long and unselfish labour— ■ shows that his faults are such as do not vitally matter, just as his honesty was also not a crippling vico after all. Ho must have his faults as a man. too, but positively nobody nnnoars to have discovered thorn. His" "greatest; fault as n ! ' politician was ms unwillingness to riieet lii« opponents with their own weapons. He was unwilling that his followers in tho House should even seem to bo.capable of that well-drilled chorus work which Hie 1 'Liberals' had, brought to a high pitch! ot efficiency. For rudeness ho returned' pohtencss-ofton (the writer has thought,, wntohing from tho gallery)' very' foolishly. Ho persisted in treating tho enemy as a fair fighter, even when' tho onomy was obviously ■ "fouling''- all tho nine. This was a gomiino fault, and a, bad one. He was a little too' touch inclined, too, to treat every infraction ofpnnoiple as being of much tho same im~*. propriety, with tho result that his vig-i orous speeches on comparatively small' issues rather discounted tho effect of' his serious speeches on matters of first- 1 rata importance. Lately, liowover, this', fault has almost disappeared. It was about throe years ago that he: suddenly became ono of the most effee-' tivo of platform epeokora'. Until, tlien he, too often kept to tho samo routes over tho samo territory. But suddenly ho' became vivid, .vigorous and enormously' l effective—in time to rnako his personal l 'l a , orm worl(; ono of tlw lea-ding causes'' of tho Reform victory ot the polls. What is, too often forgotten, oven by his supporters in the country, is his enormous industry. Ever, einco he tool?, up tho leadership of his party, ho has been tho most vigilant, industrious and tireless of leaders.. Almost always first into thoj Chamber ho was almost always tho lout' to leave, and he 6pcnt a fnr greater proportion of tho sitting hours in his place j than any.Mhcr member-on. either side, listening always with attention to even the_ dullest and idlest of speochos, liable to interrupt oven the 2:a.m. bore, put iip"~ to waste time, with a request that some ' sentenco, not clearly. heard, should- bo . repeated. • ...:.,.. Inside the House-a clean and soldierly ■ and -Vigorous fighter; phd; .afcfcida.'ft' ioiie ' ot the best and joljlest, of companions, • ho will havo the goodwill of the ma. ! jority oven of his opponents as cortojn|y 1 as ho has the loyol devotion and-nfl/ection.''•■' of his friends. Ho has passed tlio' age ' when his coming eminence could spoil him. Yet 0110 may feci a private w"Tef,'' after all. For as Prime Minister ho will be less easy to see, in 6pito of himself and his bonhomie, than when Uo was not; Prime ilipistor.. ;V' ' " ".":.: