Six O'CLOCK CLOSING.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 September 1917, Page 1

Six O'CL OCK CLOSING.

.DEMOCRACY DISC RACED. (N. Z. Times) I lie House of Representative!, bus capitulated to faction. Aeceptiii: meekly the spurious mandate ol prolii bilion, the House lias turned its back on Democracy, insulted justice, defied,| reason and despised law. Spurious mandate threatened the tenure ol ofliee. and the House, h.v a large majority. capitulated. It is the sorriest spectacle in our Parliamentary history. It obtrudes the worst moral Jl is a proclamation to all factions it rely o n threats, backed by assertions contrary to fact. It declares ' N’e" Zealand an unworthy Democracy. On om> side was the threat of faction: oil the other the facts—efficiency of army, of linfmee, of patriotism, diminished crime, reduced drunkenness. all proved by public statistics. Nevertheless, faction won. Why? Because the House preferred expediency to principle-

i Bui tin' House is not primarily to | blame. The Oovornmont. whose duty .it iK to load the IToiiso, ostontatiously throw principle to the winds, inviting the IToiiso to please itsolt’ according to expediency. Stimulated by that bat example, the ffonso ignored Democracy justice, roason and law, leaving only | oxpodionoy. 'Pardon! There was one other quality, the governing quality— Cowardice. The combination, wit! expediency, lias struck a blow afc Doj moeracy in New Zealand. Democracy ; is sacrificed for the moment and faction rules in its place. Surely the future history of the Dominion is not going to bo the history pi oligarchial gov--1 eminent by factions, .with no other tenure than assertive invention and furious menace! The Prohibitionist::, breaking down the constitutional barriers. have led The way. Til their wake is an example wtiioh discourages “'the . hope for a Democracy of principle. Truth and justice have fled, Expediency reigns supreme for the moment. BAND WENT SAN PENCE! “Since the passing of this silly little law there lias been more law-break ing to the square yard than there lias ever boon before in Now Zealand. ’ stated Mr P. 0. \Vobb in the House during the course of a slrougcondomnnlion of nnti-xhnoling. “TTow livmv members of this Tfonse ran say that tliev have not. broken the law since last [session?” inouired ATr Webb. | “Here’s oni'," nroudlv replied a Re- . form member. “f can understand tile bon. member ; not breaking anv law il it cost him sixpence,'* shot back AD- AA ebb. j The bon. member did not laugh, hm nther lmn. ineinbei-s did.