REVOLUTION OR EVOLUTION?

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 179, 18 April 1918, Page 6

REVOLUTION OR EVOLUTION?

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. Sir,—When a great, war is ii\ progross, and a nation or empire is fighting lor its national existence, it is desirable and necessary that all parochial .political dilferences should he forgotten for the time being, and unity should prevail. It is as true today as it was a couple of thousand years ago, that a "house divided against itself cannot stand." In fighting against a. common enemy our political ranks must he closed and a united jfront presented to our adversaries. For this reason a "National" political party, with all its limitations, such as we have in this Dominion, is better than sovero political discord such as we have an extreme example of in Russia. In a war such as we have at present, against an unscrupulous and determined enemy, only one thing can count, .md that is an equal determination to ho victorious over that enemy, lest civilisation and liberty perisli and despotism reign in their stead But even the longest lano has its turning, and this war, like all other wars, will have its end. and after that desirable end has taken place, what will be the political- aftermath ? Tho first certainty for New Zealand will be that our present National Government will fall to pieces, forof a. surety only the war keeps it in existence, and already numerous signs rre not wanting to snow bow free people chafe undor what, during tho present- diro necessity, they are compelled by the need of winning the war to submit to. There can be no doubt that after | this war a state of political upheaval ; will tako place all over the Torld unparalleled in the worid's history. Even to-day, in _ tho Old World, kinas are losing their crowns, governments and parties, onco looked upon as impregnable, have been overthrown in a dnv, and political chaos is everywhere discernablo. So far we havo been lucky in New Zealand. Our political truce has on ■'the \d?ole been well maintained, but he is a foolish man who thinks for a moment that our whole political lifo will remain unaffected by tho future world-wide upheaval. It can bo safely assumed that a great' revulsion of feeling against war .nil universally take place, and the present I power of kings and politicians not responsible to the people will lo taken I from them, and held in the hands of tho common people themselves. In other words, democracy will rule ini stead of autocracy, and, is Lincoln once prophesied, "the Government of the people, by the people, for the people," will become a living fact. At the present time the word "demo- ! cracy" is übiquitous. By many good j people it is looked upon as the solution of all our international troubles | nnd local problems, and the writings and speeches of men like Lloyd' George and Woodrow Wilson are permeated with the word. But denwacy, like other political beliefs, is quite capable of being abused, and unless it is intelligently and sanely applied, may be as great an evil as the tyranny it displaces. We have two remarkable examples of this in the past French and the present Russian Revolutions. Both took place in tho name of liberty, equality, and fraternity; in other words, democracy. Yet France and Russia in the name of democracy have made a hideous burlesque of the whole thing, and Russia at present in the name of democracy is out-Heroding Herod, as France did when democracy suddenly arose. Many will probably say that a period of violent transition must take place when one form of government is violently overthrown and another diametrically opposed state of govern* ment is put in its place. This naturally brings me to the point of this I letter. I contend that while violent upheavals generally take place when one extreme form of government ib replaced by its extreme opposite, there is no real reason why it sliould he necessary. Many years ago an American statesman onco said that in future "instead of revolutions by bullet, we will have revolutions by ballot." I do not think for a moment that any blood will ever be spilt in New Zealand through any political revolutions. Fortunately for us, wo have alreadj moved a long way towards democracy, via the ballot. Every man and woman having a vote when 21 years old, and being used to using it, has educated us to look towards the general elections as the place to fight our political battles. But whiie it is admitted that bullets are hardly likely to be used in Now Zealand, tor the. above reason, that is not to say that intense industrial and political unrest will not tako place. At the very least we must expect much economic disorder and labour unrest after the. war. Over 100,000 men that the demands of the war have taken across the seas will some day como home, and will not be content to listen with much patience to the old political catch cries, and if Intel hgont action is not taken by our .political leaders at on:e to anticipate the tuture, a geneial election may. sweep them out of existence, and m their place put a body of extremists who might "go the whole hog" in the other extreme, and give us a taste ot .that j democratic fanaticism that Russia is at present experiencing. _ ! In my estimation the period ot war ! disorganisation is bound to be followed ! bv political, industrial, and economic j disorganisation The . solution lies i rviir.lv in the power of intelligent, eduI catod'men to get to work at once and ! not leave for to-morrow what should be done to-day. Any "wait and see ,:olicv should im strongly opposed. If rational evolution instead of fanatical revolution i- '-<' h " ( " e !»"«',<. ™ e future, nnd it must be if trouble is to be avoided, when we must doviso _ a political system of government and introduce such necessary reforms, which will prevent a comparatively small section of the people, living in repose arid luxury which has been purchased at the price'of the labour and taxation of the general public, through a system where the many are sacrificed to the few. Wise men of all parties must recognise the necessity at once of carefully respecting tho legitimate aspirations and demands of tho community, with a view to solving the problems in a rational manner. New Zealand generally cannot be revolutionised people in tho mass enjoy too many comforts to wish to throw them away in anything like a civil war. But, if after the war a policy of political repression is pursued, and an endeavour is made to put off with insincere promises tho rational demands that will be made, then misery and misrule will become the ready materials for a political convulsion in this country. It is not too soon to tackle tho problems of the future now. That "delays are dangerous" is dangerously tnio as regards tho political future of this and other countries. The problem of how to re-settle ono hundred thousand men in profitable employment after tho war will *ix tho brains of the very ablest men. These men wont away by tho thousand, but will come back in their tens of thousands. Arc wo doing enough to enable them to he quickly settled on the land? And are we doing enough so as to bo ready 'for their return? I doubt it very much. In my opinion we are only playing with the. matter. If the Government does not tako tinio by the forelock the public will swing over towards the Red Feds, I.W.W.'s, and other New Zealand Bolshovik parties, and the biggest danger we have to fear will confront us, and political demoralisation will follow, with its resultant distress,

and misery to the wholo community; such as we see in Russia. The trouble that overtook Franca over a hundred years ago and which has overtaken Russia to-day, was beyond argument due to the Governments of the foregoing two nations declining to take sympathetic and practical notice of the popular unrest. Both countries could have been saved from licrrible> bloodshed by intelligent statesmen granting the reasonable demands _ of; the people. Instead, the rulers tried, repression, and only brought about revolution of the worst possible description. Tbo difference betwen politicians and statesmen was once defined by the answer that politicians only sea as far as the next election, aud statesmen see as far as the noxt generation. It is to be hoped we will havo the. statesmen when we want them, and the sooner they come forward the better. If -;hey don't jura up, then thereare bad times ahead. Sensible people want evolution, not revolution.—l am, etc., OX GUARD.