A HEADLESS OPPOSITION.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 4 July 1901, Page 2

A HEADLESS OPPOSITION.

An Opposition without a recognised leader is very much like a ship without a rudder. To such a low ebb has the Opposition in the New Zealand Parliament come that the members could not or would elect one of their number to the position. Yet, looking backward, we arc not surprised at this result for the Opposition of the old school has departed for ever. A now era came in with the present Ministry for which there can bo no going back to the shibboleths of the past. It is more than probable that this has had a good deal to do wi th the decision of those who do not row with the Government. The decision deposes Captain Russell from the position he has somewhat weakly held for the past seven years and further marks the progression of the Opposition policy on broader and more liberal lines. The position, however, is fraught with some danger—danger to the Government—for where there are no party defined lines there is a greater danger of a split occurring when least expected, and on a difficult question. It has been repeatedly affirmed that the retention of Captain Russell as leader of the Opposition was the best guarantee of the continuation in office of the Seddon administration. Now that Hawkes Bay’s representative figures no more, there will be fresh developments and new party lines, but in the present Parliament we see nothing lively to seriously threaten the existence of the Ministry, A few like Mr Russell of Riccarton will leave the Ministerial ranks, but then of the old Opposition, it is said, a number will give a measure of support to the Government, on the plea of preferring the devil they know to the devil they do'not know.

THE HUNDRED-EYED CHINESE CHAMPION. Oub contemporary stoutly champions the cause of resurrecting and storing in our midst the bodies of four or five hundred Chinese, quite irrespective of sanitary precaution or public decency. This is possibly quite in accordance with the Argus idea of the fituess of things. We may regret the fact, but we cannot expect sentiment and propriety where none exists. Neither could we expect aught else from such a source than a denunciation of our protest. " Gutter-snipe language," "shrieking ghoulish details"—language applied by our contemporary to our contention —are quite in keeping with Boundary Street literature and do not look out of place in the Argus columns, wherein but yesterday was stated that " when the Chinese are engaged in disinterring remains they smoke and chat as comfortably as if they were peeling potatoes. There is no smell or anything about tho process calculated to create disgust." Yet in that process the decayed flesh is taken from the bones and thrown back into the ground. And we are told by our contemporary—apparently a good authority on such matters—-that there is nothing unseemly or insanitary in such proceeding, and further informed that " it is simp'y scandalous to make such an outcry when there is not tho slightest justification for doing so." We shall, novertheless, continue to voice public opinion in this matter, even at the risk of having more vulgarity hurled at our head by the Argus expert, for the public must have an exponent of what is right and j usfc.