PROFESSED LIBERALS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3137, 18 July 1881, Page 2

PROFESSED LIBERALS.

[To the Editor of tho Daily Telegraph.] Sir,—Would you be kind enough to give me a portion of your space to ask those concerned a few questions regarding the Liberal Association which was established in this town some time back. The questions are—l. Why is the Association so dumb and quiet at the present important juncture, when a general election is imminent ? 2. What calamity has befallen the officers who were appointed at the first meeting of the Association ? 3. What kind friend has taken care of the money which was collected from members ? I am led to ask these questions on account of reading of several secret meetings of professed liberals recently, and in the hope that these gentlemen may probably be in a position to give some information on these matters. I would also ask, why these secret meetings ? I am told that they are held by men who claim to be tbe leaders of the liberal party in this town. But this cannot be. Surely the liberals of Napier have not sunk into such insignificance that they will allow themselves to be led by the nose by any set of men who may choose to meet in secret conclave and deliberate upon matters affecting our social and political welfarr, and perhaps have the temerity to bring

forward candidates in the name of the liberal party. Is this liberalism ? I think not; to my mind it is illiberalism of the worst type. Liberalism does not require the secret meetintr of a few interested parties to serve its ends, but rather the voice of the multitude, and that voice, I am confident, will assert itself in so far as to show tbat it is capable of forming judgments and opinions of own, and that it will not be meekly led by a few embryo politicians and aspirauts to legislative honors. The presumption of these few misguided men is beyond endurance, and as an antidote I think the liberals of Napier ought to show unmistakably their strength, and intelligence, and dignity, and not have it said that they are at the disposal or command of any secret set. The best way to show this would be for tbe liberals of Napier to meet and organise a Liberal Association on a sound basis, with properly constituted officers, &c, and this should be done immediately, so that, when the proper time arrives the real liberals at least will show that they are competent to deliberate on matters political, and will resent any attempt to have thrust upon them the miserable and frightened views of an insignificant minority of wonld-be liberals.—l am, &c,

A True Liberal. Napier, July 18, 1881.