Your Vote and Interest.

Hastings Standard, Issue 185, 1 December 1896, Page 3

Your Vote and Interest.

MR COiINFOHI'i'S AI>I>fIESS. Ijisi jr." r . notwii.-t.-'n.lm'j tlu- dirty e\(li, ■ t • -- 1 : • ti. ■- io"iito t.ibl\ i v.„ i it'it- ■ ; *.i----ent-e to ht Mi ( iiniford - atldi -- on :!-••• ab-'ve s.nt , ". Mr Cob.j, epiil t • :«ir. in tntrodf-ci'ij- ri.t -p k r. -> 1 !-• >i •! no: come to Hasting, to support Mr i'r.iser ii.. ir-; ( in- >:n 1 t b ■ to . \p' ■ i to throi tiie if pi. i.vp> of It-moctacy that the mjjwi'v -»f >'■ d r ie. Mr t untoiit. v.. » v t- it . I v.ith cii. ers. said !.• was i-atnraUv nut- i nt. but he felt the crei'it conip'imeitt wh.tch liad btt-n p>ni iiitu wh i- w >- a-kid to itddi. - t* f> t !• *'.-•! i' "uii.-. pi I lie fek 'i ttt. te I :o s-vii a-: an.l-.ence bt-tore him oil s-i-.r a i. -or. I', was s:-i I th* En-.li-h p- p". t - Jo t at el-cfon taut iii ' ~it ibt \ l•. : avt->l taeiu-t I\* -o l- id'% t • ■ n 1 - not t > d -i. *. o it. Thev led pro "r. --e-l. ami now looked at polit'i .d q i- -t »n- ti i-n tl :*• .t "t standpo'tit from ttifir auc.it-, a- ti • \ hatl more adv mt f't t hu 1:1 .1 II- .e in New /i ii m I tt >-y I .d ati • d..c -t,n:i for tii- p 0p..->*ilp i iodic d-. >!' w-p'p and current literature were aviiik-d ot, wuk-Ii enabled people to applv new canons oftriuci-m to po'i-t - 1 e - tl -ii i i turv ago the public ot women was abolishttl. wtiich was one voir b'-tore his ffttiier vv l-I ii l>m In.fd't I i- i_'i tilt tti'iaf taut- i>f :t-> 1 t. i i di I i lin ii complained to the I- rct-a-h stuthontii-* ot the lint- o ■ t t .1 it'd I' rl l.i* 1- t the wretches broke!! wi the wneel hi that neighborhood. in fact, at that tune the so-called ctv:!."il l-m.-p- was as brutal as it was po-sibk to cs.nc v.--. and even in our time a celebrated London I .:.k- r remembered seeing a head on Temple Jiar. He mentioned these thing, to show the evolution of I.ib.-ra.h-ie. and tiie difference between iVmocraey and Conservatism. He wa- aecu-fd of iu>t having been always a Progress;* «• Lilierrl. That was true, but he would tell tlieni why he had adopted his present opinions. Mr . N. V. :i-..n. a tlistingnished member of tl.. l.« g -la":v.Council, and au a.lv ari'-id Liberal, thr-'.v low lights upon the stthiect. and his _mtercourse witu this jf»-tateiu.»ii. toe.-tiiei-witli Ins own .-e-e-'ic 1..."l the ettt—: of altering lits opinion, il'heer-o V.a Ht i *1 i( -tv's -luDiti« w. - >. J. ! i- ; i in ai.»«l when hj" saw the pincission of well-dressetl children marching i i \ ip i it caused him to think how ut tl rising children going to make homes and pfovision for their future families (elieerst —and lie came to the conchiitoii that a change in the direction of encuuragiug e\j-e -»tc!eiin lit vi.i- m . m f . laml legislation ut the c>>!oii* , |l heel I The land qo-—: - ou. whii I. ••. * - were making .-.n lion.-r end* ivi-r f • -i.*.e. was the root of dt the other ditlicuitn and for this reasor. he wa- a I'- • ■ - -- v• Liltend. Ctm—-iv Utv- .im-ii>-_--t wlint.i lie had-i v> "al :ia i-.d-. vv. . f.n -o.t—I- >rn and seii-m'de- I.'e bom t onvative was of c.iui so by m-imet. t.-a-viroiiini'iit. and :i.ssoetaUo!i: and the S:niade Ct>n-» rv.i'ive w.i- one who b\ inown dogged endeie.-a'l's had fought ht- v.,t v to aiiiuence anil had got to accept himself as a standard of hum ui.t,>. No oil* could seriously -tudv tii- -oei d p.obi -t i b. f.. . them »itiioot bcct>l.i I'," a II idle tl : a!.il when a population b. come- con. e-t. I. the popular rights were greater than the claims of propeit*. P-" fun 1 inict:.d difference bvtwet n a C iii—rv.sttv. and a Progressive Libera! coasi-ced m tint the Conservative acknowu.l_ed i:o ic-pon-i----hility. as he had nothing to do *it:u tincreation of the woild. 'I hi - v. I- gt .ng back to the barbarous pertol w lu-n a man wooed his wife with a club.and tliiied on his neighbor. Liberals on tiie other hand believed in con-clous evolution, and undertook their share in the ad* a nee iiient of the world. He traced I. ofiservatism trotn its source —feudalism through autocracy and monarchy until tod'V. m N.w Zealand, though «■! i-- pu>.t - h I ta 1.-d awav, Con-erv tti-m and ladiviiln h-m reuuuncd as a relic of the barbaric past. To show the arro*_Tince ot tiie clalie quoted an i.tt'-r-incr- ut Lout- W I. in 1766. The proti:;, I'. b I 1 - ting Catherine of Ku—la b- tit colUgf- m St. Petersburg and Moscow, and being congratulatetl by the Governor of Moscow, she said she 'erected schools and colleges so that the Western nations should not accuse them of hmrbari.-iu. but when the time came that the p<op!. to.. n..d doUUUitled -choot- and col.>*gt - t.a :i tii.it would be no roein for h.m oi her. Ii:--Emperor Paul .-aid : " Ns> man is of any importance except me ami the man I cm speaking to. and he cea-i- to be of ariv importance win it I c« .*-». :o to i.ii,-. ' Two centuries itco .lnhn Locke wiot, a book "The 'li-hran-m of (ivtl <n>\# ulliei'it," on winch the liberties of the English people he smid in a l oimuonvveakh mm unittal together and placed t!um-> K.-s tindtr a Government for mutual piotictiofi. an.l long as £1 man tilled and kept ins laltd properly he hatl a right to prosper. This .was the root of all the social reform- for "the past fifty or sixty y ears, and if the rights of property wen- dangerous to the community it was right to destroy them. He quoted, because Liberals were accused of appealing to the pas-ions of the masses, and he wished to show what men like Locke. J. S. Mills. Fronde, and other clear level-headed men said on the -abject. Fronde said. " The laws of political economy ceased to govern when the moral welfare of the people is concarried." (Cheers». Edmund Burke described Ithe aristociacv of his day as " an autocratic and insolent domination. ' and later he said. "Tit people are the masters and we aie the t xperienced workllien to shape their d» -it"- : they are the patients to describt tin l ihsease-s. and we the phvsicians to pu-c-i e for them, and it would be a betrayal of trust to deceive them." Burke at- > -a -1. •• It would be dreadful if there were any power in the State capable of resisting tiie people." A French philosopher wrote. " That in the first place it was necessary to exist." although many Conservatives of the old type would agree with Talleyrand and say. "Wedon't see the necessity for it." This necessity for existence is at the bottom of this social question, and so. even in England and some pans of America where tumpeiif?n for bare life is so keen, everyone iqy&tges to live. Truth must prevail, and the man who does not see the necesritr for other people living is open to the obvious replv that they don't see the use of his existence, and his callousness to the wants of his fellows was a bad example to the world, \\liat was not for the benefit of all was not for the benefit of a solitary being. Conservatives claimed to represent the intelligence, ability, and honesty of the human race. Intelligent, because of the education that their environment and association gave them, ability from heredity, and honesty because they "had plenty of" money to supply all their aspirations. They, therefore, passed as a superior creation, having large responsibilities and thus were entitled to adxt.iitii.ster the laws and govern the country. This was utterly false, for under tiie commonwealth it was the working people who is a great iuax>y instance*

i administrative p<> - w.i.-a v 11!: -i in • i iv'teat iv ! :i pi [ (Is The ti!>t Parliament wis i cailnl i-i 101 k). nnil the members Were ! pm! £■> tl.-.v. So that t! 1 • p.iy- ' ,i»t :urmi> rs vv.is u-> n> *v id'-i. [■i 1 th«; landowners got p- and fi-. , t":'< dated jiit* labor complications. lin t'i. of Henry \ 11. the dt' t> increased as tl:.- lav giv-jri c 1 1' It gtslate against th ire": • in t 'ii of Henry VIII. the wintry »wari 1 1 with rogues and y.s;r;-:>onds. true. i * ■ 1 lit;on 1 f tin- i; v.<n-k----ing .. . <! ivii to the prcM-nt d :y. draw 1 i\ , I:• ml povveirui picm-c of tlis* tvrannv r 1 '.vie •!> they**. .-v subjected. Ift: i.v oi:e who h.i'l tov. tor L:-- or her hvinu -v.ere hi it p ] (1 .' 1 i\ • .-.itc t : '> close - !*lemen li >1 I. •!. * i.i- content to sink into t':e lowe -t depths <ii' degradation. He --;i-1 this no t'u-'re to inula- in:*: muiato. y n'cn is -1 i t . In point of he 1■ s 1 *,iii no tiiil* r« r. between the v anil tile iimnlde. and fi>l it:■ I ;i> -ulind political ecor.oiiii.-is i.mong tilt' v.• .1 men :is tin i .! • . < 1 ever product tl. Wliy was tli - 1 1!i '.-msc ti.'t laborer had t > think oui ins livelihood find the economy of thing-, but the rich had no necessity for thought as thay received their mom * iiu pi nsibly. To show li: it the >1 classes had not the abilhy attributed t > fun he quoted ; several instance-; i* l>'i.i it. i s in tiie > nmn-tut nit tit i-f the arn.y and na*.i=! ; affairs" of (».. •• ii . -in. and it was the j iion-i'onmis—'ioiiril < t! T i>■».'i-.: —use men with i practic»i « *;pevii :*c« —who »'• rciiie.h.d th* -«• blunders. F: v..-.stiie ••• ne- im ihe world, tiie •' in >ll -1 sot s-W.ety Were the best men to piece in position*. reeJli;l iH'JT eleal-ii.'i>si. <li!ess aial f,"r;i^p. Tiie 'loiit.-s -a'J tiie present order of tinner wen: tifs--''<:lry. liiit in his t\p i : r;ii e whin piatioviu and >p»ke :oid wrote a;.':ini-it ;> ii-ii 'i £ll. s.-iyii'.'j it v. onM iii'HT work, th.a: ii'tuiiii wan wiih'ii ins asnraiile ; ii; • i>; •: ;ip!i- •: . He i| .'i t. d .'vii.na Mnilii to show til:'.! lilt' interest.-* oi" liiasu-r mid s«-r>;tnl were d:.s«iiiii!ar. con-s,.-sji'eii!l\' the iiuisirrs eonhl not n pn -eiit tin ir si i vani.s in lVriianu-iit. 11<■ qnoti-d s- '..id eioineut amiionlit s n..- the of laiior. and the reason he merely q'liin d w -, i'na.t those who ;;cci:-ed the I.llt-iul Iftilel's of deii\•-»'!ml; itiiianiatoiy Itiii Hi «i» - i ouiii see that tiie :'reat. ii.. n i . \t t ii i I e1 e ' pi's iillUt ii endorsed 1,,. . - ■ i lie i ts. In the Fr;,:in>■ lYsissiai! v. ir. .i" owed hsT -I.\!r-th and ■ an •• to ti 1 ..- ii :>.l • . s !Uil:iherof small !.: on r- in tint country ! frotn three to twenty acn-s. lie idhnled m hitter terms to the i\ietion.s of the II t i ti 1 i i tiers in order to det-r parks tor the I'uke of Sutherland, mi o\>. d how vast 11";: els of land hit.t ln-eii acquired in Australia and the I'm:.. •! >!■•(. s liv iiitlividual- and laud i. i> .■ wbiv.f teiinnts I-.ere mere * lie k.". .liv criticisiil \V. li. \[ ilto.i - -tatelilelit ••that the aequi.-lUoii of Weill!h did not naike ai:>"U" else p.i.ire,-. ! because it there was neither wealth nor p hi m I o one would work: people would jus! n\.-. hut und- r exi-.iiisi,"'t'ircimiv.uia'es t!ie -wealthy tuan. the power, to j,-ive or withho'tl comtorts from the wori.i-r. -:itn.: 1 tte» tiie energy of the community to secure th. se eomfiirts. As a coiLseqtu.'nee. instead of losiu-,* hy the presence of wi-aith j overt v. tliey g:!.in>-d hy the result of t 1 eir enforced activity, and their wants v. ere s.; i-:i- •!. lie w. !."e I to kllo'.v if ;}»■ lainnvr's wants were sa.tistiel wit!i Ss per week? It was necessary for the «iovern- !! •-!;t to : -quire lands for ttiei.i; it. a~ t! i *_■ lands i it-It I l»y the ('town v. ere not arable. The lands aequiu-d shoultt he near the iai eetitres. :i . ne-.v ~i-ttler w 'lt pie M.-L'etati l;tO miles from the milk *s He ijuoteti the Napier Ttliifrxpti in IH7o writing the acquisit t i «»• art-a,s of land by individuals an 5 - ipp rlint; close settlement. I".very <> wi,n-lit whicli li;:d tin. interests of tin . j-'i at Ilea: t should do its best for their health and edlieath.il. Vet th.-v win ti.ld h\ the Conservatives that the Eiilht Hours 101 l and the weekly halflioSiiiiiy placed capital under the Li.-h. and t' * i" !' lihtalism shoultl he maintained. 11ns would mean that every ihitii,'done to -»t the weak and iielpless against ui ut is utterly wrong. l.\pp!au~c.i He si u\ i 1 1 ow in the early part of the present century children worked fifteen hours a day. anil he quoted Lord who said that •"steep was the great enemy of tiie people's education, for who could study after fourteen hours' labor." These horrors were not over yet. To-day a laboring man in Ih._l.m-l worked more hours a day than tii y would care to think of. with the result that men were worn out btfoie thev were forty. Men there work 84 hours a week, and women produce unhealthy children, that tndividualism must be maintained. The rules of political economy dwindled into nothing when the physical and moral welfare of tile people were at issue, and as tons; as lie had breath lie would tieht in their ca".w-.-. lie had no objection to black, yellow, or any other foreign race as lo:i» as they conducted themselves decently and cleanly and lived up to the r.-q-.iire-in- !-t- of onr civilization, hut any one acquainted .with the Chinese ami their dens in tiie colonies would know thai they we re no more lit to live in our community than lepers. They were told that State aid pauperised and destroyed a people's self-reliance, but it was different when Lord Sali-bury'- Administration advanced four millions to help the .Egyptian felaheen so that interest illicit be paid on Egyptian bonds. In the same manner lurye land companies and others were helped by the Government, but this cry of their selfreliance being destroyed was not heard. A happy settlement of living, breathing, loving humanity was worth all the landed wealth of the world, and he trusted the workers of the colony would show their confidence in the Government which : alwavs fought unwearyingly in their cause agamst the monopolists of the colony by returning them to power next Friday to continue their work of ameliorating the condition of tiie people. Mr Cornford resumed his seat amid loud and prolonged applause. During his speech Mr Cornford was the recepient of a number of bouquets front ladies nmongst the audience. On the motion of Mr G. Ellis, seconded by Mr T. Townseud. a hearty vote of thanks was accorded with acclamation.