PRECEPT AND PRACTICE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 287, 30 August 1919, Page 8

PRECEPT AND PRACTICE

Sir,—Like many other peace-loving peo- - pie, I had hoped the long association of lteform and Liberal Ministers in tliie 'National Cabinet would assist in putting au end to the old party bitterness and ignoble strife that disgraced the public life of this country beiore the war. Your own admirable attitude in this respect during- the currency of the "party truce" - encouraged me in my optimism, fou carried the minds of your readers back to the time—mythical, I am afraid—wlier. "r.one was for a party" and "all were fov the State," and some of us fancied w( saw in your eloquent words the dawn of u return to this political millennium. But alas, and alack! On tho morning following Sir Joseph Ward's retirement from the National Cobinet all_ our fond dreams were dissipated to tho four winds of heaven by the very hand that had inspired and fostered tliem. "At a time when the need is clearly emphasised all o\er the Empire," you wrote, "and-no-where moro pointedly than in this Dominion, of establishing i|obler political standards than sufficed in pre-war days, of sinking party and developing a national outlook, Sir Joseph Ward and those who ctand with him have elected to revert ignobly to the petty aims of faction and to the paltry and miserable outlook in which personal and party in-, terest and ambition are regarded as of more moment than national welfare." Surely this breathless denunqiation of a . former political opponent was not framed by the author of the broader and kindlier note that led us to a, better and higher conception of social service'and national , greatness. What Las Sir Joseph Ward, poor man, deno to deserve your violertt casfcation? It is generally understood the "party truce" was for the duration of the war, that it was extended in order that tha party leaders attend the_ Peace Conference as joint representatives of the Dominion and that on their return it would automatically expire., But even if it were otherwise, would it not have been more generous, more chivalrous/ r and, if I may put it bluntly, more decent to make sure of Sir Joseph ard s guilt before hanging him out of hand. It seems to me, as oii(V of your sadly disappointed readers, you have not lived mp to the high ideals you were preaching only a short week ago.—l am, etc., LOOKER-ON. Wellington, August 27. (Perhaps it is our obtuseness, but w* cannot quite see liow our condemnation of Sir Joseph Ward's action in seceding from the National Government on the . evo of the. meeting of Parliament ana at a critical time in , the country a affairs runs counter to what our correspondent terms our "admirable attitude , in advocating the ending of the old party bitterness and ignoble strife. Moreover, when "Looker-On" professes to see in our criticism of Jig action of Sir .Tosepi. Ward and his colleagues a elmairy or decency or somethimr of tiie kind , he r must excuse ns if we follow his own example of bluntness and -characterise his remarks as very patent humbug. His pretence that after' the decision - of tlie Ward party meeting of some weeks ago and Sir Joseph Ward's own raws recent action and electioneering maulfesto thero 'is any room for doubt as to . the party's intention to revert, to jam warfare,'is really too thin. Might % add that our correspondents pose as me disinterested -non-partisan onlooker, is somewhat discounted by his obvioua concern to put tho Liberal lender right with the public.]