The Chronicle LEVIN. MONDAY, JUNE 26, 1916. MORE ABOUT TREASON.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 June 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. MONDAY, JUNE 26, 1916. MORE ABOUT TREASON.

With keen appreciation, mingled with a liopo that some people high in authority in iXeiv Zealand would appreciate liie inference conveyed, we read in last Saturday's Dominion an alrtide on High Treason. It took the form of a diKCoiuiso on the ufiencu; its ancient I'oi uis and it modified modern aspects; ami throughout it bore evidence of an erudition, rind a thoroughness of research, thait made it of great help to all people who realize that men's beet privileges are not confined to thei" rights to amass private wealth nor restricted to their opportunities to advance themselves in worldly position. r J here is need for a wider realization of this fact. The true basio rest for our best and dearest privileges is scarcely recognized by the average man who benefits by itheiu; it is the subject of -nil open attack and insidious undermining by certain men of high and low condition, who alike are tyrannic ally constituted per ee; and it is aa soundjy defended, we feel certain, by the true types of liberty-loving beings in all countries and of all parties. There are, we venture to say, champions of the spirit of true liberty to be found in the Massey Party, in the Federation of Labour, and in that great mass of people that adheres openly to no party and which exercises collectively; as well as individually, an enduring and irresistible dlynaimic force on itlie affaire of every community, dominion, commonwealth and; nation.

The time lias come, in New Zealand, for an amalgamation of these spi'rits for the maintenance of one great end. To achieve this, there is 110 need for tlio sinking of minor, differences of political creed or political policy; he whoso health or happiness would suffer unless he daily reviled the forces of the hoi polloi still may indulge his avocation and thus vindicate his right as a freeman. He who believes his country to be gripped and strangled by "the oligarchial ruffians of modem despotism" still may mount his henzino ca*e and whirl his words at the hydraheaded monster. He who considers that all governments tend naturally towards despotism, and that the veriest eaus culotte who achieves high officc twentnally must 'become (Vike RotaesyioiTo and Napoleon the first) changed men and tyrants in office, still may retain his views. The need to-day te not for revision of belief, but for maintenance of each man's ri<rht to posses* his Ib'el'ief without detrimen/f. In the long years of peace that existed be-

tween the great nations, the person ot mediocre attainments, the possessor of but banal personality, toad his enduring opportunity to win his way to political power over the heads of betrt-er but less-self-seeking and less-piscatory men; and to-day the two dominions, the island commonwealth and the Motherland, all have at lea-st a leaven of such people in their Administration's, measuring their well-backed miiioii' wits against the sounder judgment of their colleagues; driving and dragooning their inferiors in. position into acte that are against their bett<3'- judgment, yet of which they must bear tlie obiaquv. New Zealand in particular has need for a combination of her better-bala.no ed people to combat the spirit of intolerance that is manifesting itself iri Parliament. Those New Zealanders whose positions and means allow of them lighting openly in tlie interests of true liberty (should do so on every reasonable occasion; and any who are lesfi-fortunateiy placed should break a lance at such rare opportunities as may occur. When this dominion (by a, representative of one or more of its administrative headls) descends to the despicable resource of dragooning a proprietary head to apologise publicly for an iiil-considered hasty action on tho part of one of its servants, and for winch already it haw expressed publicly its regret, what must foir-n.inded criics snyP If they say that such an ■action savours of viiulictivenesfl they may he wrong; but they will be •« 'touch with the truth if they assert that it is meant to allow the Premier' and his three political satellites from Auckland province to oscapo by a side issue from the untenable main position they took up when one of them alleged* "treason'' against a poor newspaper editor whose chief folly wias his neglect to Act 011 Talleyrand's "'motto that "language was given to conceal ouir thoughts." The Chronicle has it on good authority (From Wellington) that a course such as we have indicated in tlie pirecedina sentence is being pursued by a Parliamentarian whose voice counts as one of tlie Coalition Caibinet. Obviously, tlfis course is being followed to save the Premier's face. Wo repeat now, what, we have said before, that the K.t. Hon. the Premier of New Zealand degraded his liigli office as Leader of the House, and made himself ridiculous, when l» (as reported by the Ma.naw.atu Times) alleged "a treasonous tone" against the Thames Star for having told what it deemed to be the truth about the naval Battle of Jutland, viewed in the light of tlie first official message published in New Zealand. The Premier's faVe pass, evidently, is to b» retrieved by the extraction of a publie apology from some influential people connected with the newspaper in some way or other, at the instance of a representative of the Government. Such an attempt constitutes one of the most 'impudent endeavours eveir made in these islands (by any ad/iininiatraitive head) to escape from tin untenable position by changing the mode of attack. Let the Hon. W. F. Massey see this, matter through from where he took up his first position; not seek to escape by evading the main issue on which lie developed his attack. We mihee no words, for we realize that underlying t'his attack is discernible tho overweening meJital intolerance of a 1 ypr of politician who would subvert the liberty of a man to publish views fa<ir>v deducible from an official report . who mistake* political rhodomontade foir statesmanlike patriotism ; and whose fitness to direct, the destinies'ot our dominion at this stage of existence must he open to sdrious doubt in the minds of all impartial men. Incirientally we would ask the Bight Hon. W. F. Massey what lie has to say 10 our allegations. ff he class us as u literary popgun and: our chalrgee as neg-. ligible we must express our surprise thai ho persists in regarding so seriously the goldfields' shot-gun. Such an answer to our charges would be' insufficient; and the inference remains that hie silence in face of The Chronicle's? charges is based'upon his recognition of tllie fact that his hasty utterances on the floor of tlie House were merely "granting at large," though doubtless he believed himself to be proclaiming hits great loyalty and feirvent patriotism. An' tliis be so, then lie may be pardoned to that extent-, But we like not tlie clamdestiiie effort to procure ail apology to which we have referred eorVier in this article; and we make it our duty .to irercr to the matter thus 'publicly in tlie hope that ,New Zealand newspapers in general will appreciate any developments from it at their true worthlessncss.