ANTI-REFORM REVEALED

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2328, 9 December 1914, Page 9

ANTI-REFORM REVEALED

THE/MOB RIOT AT AUCKLAND.

(By felegrapli.-Specfftl Oomaßondent.) December .8. The Press Association account of the outrages committed by tho Anti-Reform-ers at Mr. Massey's meeting in Pon- . sonby; has caused no little sensation here.' It is significant that the "Lytteltbn Times," the ~ Opposition paper, places the report int an obscure corner of its' pages, where it is certain to be overlooked by many readers. Moreover the ''Times has much coridonsed tho message, the outrage on Miss Bradney in partjcular being reduced to brief terms.

The ''Press" has the following editorial comment:—"The people of Auckland had a magnificent view last night of the spirit of these amalgamated AntU Reformers. A serios of shocjung outTageq, unprecedented' in the history of this country's politics, was arranged by the enemies of the Government.: Those people who attacked the person of the Prime Minister and Mr. Bradney. who contrived a diabolical scheme to create & dangerous panic in a crowded hall," and who trampled uhder- .' foot the daughter of a Reform candi? date, those are tho people who will ' direct, the government of, the country if the arrangements between the. 'Liberals' and'the Red Feds result in the defeat of the Reform.Party. Those are the people whose activities throughout the country havo enabled the Opposition .politicians and the Opposition newspapers to boast of the contrast between; tho orderly and -. enthusiastic 'Libera- meetings and the rowdy and : nunujtupus denials of free speech to men 'jitapding on . Reform platforms, rhose, are fhe agents, AntiTßefprm has employed, in order to enable the Opposition newspapers" tq jeer at Mr. JJassey, for tjie fact that police,are hot out of place tit some of his meetings. The people who oheei" Sir Joseph Ward aro the people howl down Reform Ministers and Reform candidates. The Opposition are welcome to all their pleasure in tjiess deniqpstratipna.. The spirit of the disorderly mobs now revealed as.the spirit.of a brutal enmity to freedom is the spirit bred and encouraged by the 'Liberal? Party. Last night's outrage .|n Auoldand tells the public more about $0 spirit of the*Qpposition than a thousand speeches and a thousand articles. That is the spirit whioh is opposed to Reform, the' spirit to which the 'Liberal' ; Party is now enslaved; We have no doubt that the affair will open the eye's of many thousands of. careless' people to the true character of, the forces the 'Liberals' and their allies are opposing to the Government. It is as well that Anti-Re-form' has revealed itself in its t™ 6 character while there is yet time for the ' frientjs of prcler, decency,, and sanity to consider their verdict."