The Dominion. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1914. FREE SPEECH IN DANGER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2325, 5 December 1914, Page 6

The Dominion. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1914. FREE SPEECH IN DANGER

■ —« ; The feature which above all others distinguishes this election campaign is an organised and deteimined attempt to suppress the right- of free speech and. to substitute tumult and disorder for the fair and open discussion of public affairs: The attempt is being made by. a section of the community, happily more noisy than numerous, which leaves no room for doubt as to its identity. Its members boast, intact, that they are carrying out this organised attack on public liberty on behalf of the organisation known as the Red Federation of Labour, aad the way in which they couple references to the strike of last year and other similar affairs with expressions of devotion to Sie Joseph vVard indicates that no clear dividing line is drawn, so far as the attempt to howl down public speakers is concerned, between the ranks of this revolutionary society and the lower, grades of the Wardist faction with which it is t confessedly allied. In these circumstances it is • not, of course, surprising that the right of free speech should be denied only to supporters of the Reform Government. Wardist candidates, as a general rule, except where there' has been a falling-out amongst their own mixed following, aro given a fair and uninterrupted! hearing, but since the campaign opened hardly a single Government candidate has addressed a meeting in any of tho more populous centres without being subjected to the .attentions of a disorderly element intent upon "tjoing all that it could to make the delivery of a connected speech impossible. The position in a word is that an organised attempt is being made throughout a great part of the country to prevent the members and supporters of the Government. Party stating their case, and-the methods followed in furtherance of the attempt are simply an adaptation to tho circumstances of the methods which were Instigated and followed by the Federation of Labour during the great strike of last year. On that occasion the Government had to call upon the respectable section of the community to put down mob-, rioting,, terrorism, and violence with a strong Land and the call was answered in a fashion which left no room for doubt as to the sentiments of the vast majority of the people of New Zealand. Defeated and suppressed on that occasion the reckless extremists of the Red Federation are now seeking to regain, without any perceptible change of methods, the ground which they have lost. In the hope- of ultimately being able to dominate a weak Government and extort from it miy terms they chooso to dilate they., hava hands

with the Wardist faction and are now seeking to carry out their obligations to their new-found allies by howling down Government candidates at every opportunity and obliterating the right of free speech. The' effect of these attacks on the liberty of citizenship, for that is what this organised rowdyism really amounts to, cannot be prejudicial to the Government as those organising them fondly hope. It is inconceivable that citizens generally, no matter what their political convictions may be, can approve conduct of this nature, nor can they fail to realise that behind it is a menace which threatens popular liberty in a still wider field. If this organised rowdyism ■is_ to bo toleratetl, it will not only strike at tho right of free speech, but the lawiess people who practise it will be encouraged to trespass still further. It is a short step from words to blows, and from attempts at intimidation by .noisy invective to more dangerous measures of physical force. On reflection the public must realise the seriousness of the situation. What is to become -of our public life if those who offer their services for public offices are to be denied the right of free speech unless they meet with the approval of the roughs and toughs of the community? Where are our liberties if our men and women cannot hope to attend a political meeting of a candidate opposed by the Red Federation without risk of a disorderly scene and the rude and senseless howling down of the candidate? The' situation has now reached .a pass when it has become the duty of every citizen to realise the obligation him to defend his rights' against the aggression of mob rule. The Federation of Labour has been encouraged by its political working alliance with, the Opposition Party to once more come out into tho open, and it grows bolder by reason of the failure of the public to resent its misconduct. It sought to terrorise and intimidate the people of Wellington and elsewhere during the strike, and the people had ,to teach it a sharp lesson. But that lesson has not been sufficient. Fortunately the public still dominate the situation, and fortunately, too, the Federation of Labour has shown its hand in time for the electors to be.fully warned. No elector who has any sense of responsibility or any public spirit can fail 1 to recognise his or her duty in connection with the Federation of Labour and those it supports, at the coming polls. We have seen too often already the lengths to which these reckless people will - go and the menace they and their teachings are to the peace and well-being of the community ._ TEey arc , fighting to restore Wardism because they have had ample proof that Wardism stands for weakness, and they hope that if they can get a weak Government into office they_ can practise their evil methods with greater, impunity and eveV dominate the Government itself. Tho Federation of Labour can be defeated only in one way: that is, by defeating its candidates. Electors must face their responsibility in this , matter j they cannot ignore it. They, cannot vote for Opposition or Labour candidates without voting' as the Federation .of Labour wishes them to e vote. They cannot ' voto_ for Opposition and Labour candidates without encouraging the organised attacks on the rights of free speech which' have shamed tho whole community and threatened our rights as a free people. ' This may not be palatable to many people who in the past have supported Opposition or Labour candidates, but it is simple fact; and we are convinced'that on reflection the great bulk of the public will realise this and act accordingly.