LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
THE REFORM PARTY. Sir,—-With the passing of the elections, interest in matters political appears to have gone back to its customary low ebb, and it is a matter for regret that political questions should have no more than a triennial interest for the great body of electors, since no real progress can bo made by merely spasmodic exertions. Lasting and continuous progress is only ensured by persistent 'effort, and nowhere is this more true than in politics, where a slackening off on one side*means an immediate gam for tho other, and where tho failure' to clinch a point or drive home an argument means ' tho certain loss of waverers who- could readily be secured by good generalship on tho part of the propagandists of.the party. A glance through a few of The Dominion's news sheets during the past month will satisfy anyone that point upon point could pave been scored by a prompt and telling reply through the Press, controverting many of the statements put forward by Liberal candidates in almost every electorate, yet those to whom' the public Uook for a lead;, in such matters were strangely silent, not through indifference be it said, but rather it is to be feared through their failure to see the opportunities so freely". presented to them. This failure implies a lack of what _ may be termed the fighting instinct characteristic of the ,born controversialist who neglects np chance of getting home on his opponent, and the lack of this instinct on the part of the Reform officials is largely responsible for fhei failure of the party to secure more favourable results at the recent election. No systematic use was made of that most effective weapon of controversy—a letter to the editor,' by which a campaign of education may bo carried on. surpassing in results any other form of moulding public opinion. It matters not who tho man may be, or what his social position, if he does not possess a full measure of this fighting instinct ho cannot be a successful political force. Ho lacks the dominating personality of the true lighter,, whose individuality marks him put as a man among men, a man whose voice or pen is a force to be reckoned with in the political arena. There are ; no half-measures with such a man; he believes in his cause as ho does in himself; and his.vigorous personality exudes from his spoken or written word compelling the attention of those he desires to reach. ■ The Reform Party is worth fighting for, but to'.combat its opponents energetically and persistently it must enlist the services of men who are not only Reformers, but proved natural, born lighters, selected not on account of their social . standing, but solely for their ability as controversialists—in ehort, men who fight because they love to light, and who have tho brains to plan their campaigns iri the daily prints, and in this connection the editors of our dailies can bo .or- assistance in making a proper selection. . . The executive of the Reform Party { will meet early in January, and Reformers everywhere will welcome eoine evidence that the necessities of the position are hilly recognised at headquarters, and,that steps are being taken to put some more life into the ,aggressive work of .tho party.—l am, etc., . HEATHERDALE. Christehurch, December 29.'
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Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2346, 31 December 1914, Page 7
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556LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2346, 31 December 1914, Page 7
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