PLAIN WORDS FOR EXTREMISTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 August 1920, Page 3

PLAIN WORDS FOR EXTREMISTS.

i “BETRAYING DEMOCRACY.”

MR ISn'T'S REPROOF. ) “In a country like this, where there is no reform, however extreme, that you , cannot obtain by constitutional methods as soon as you can persuade a ma- . jorily of the people that the reform is needed, it is inexcusable that men should forsake constitutional methods and adopt the methods of Bolsevism,” said Mr L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) in tho House of Representatives, iMr Isitt lind been described from the j Labour benches ns an enemy of Laliour j and in a brief' but very pointed reply • lie told the House vvliat he thought of the leaders of Labour. I j “They are continually betraying de- | i mocraey,” he said. “The word • fde- ■' moerncy’ is continually on their lips, , and nobody resents more keenly than . they do any infringement of the rights I they possess as citizens of this country, j But whenever it suits them, they throw i aside their democratic principles and adopt the methods of autocracy. By their criminal silence in this House and their utterances outside, they encourage working' men to seek to dictate t« the majority of the people of this country by direct action. Democracy goes to the wind when the other method suits them.” Mr Isitt referred to) tlie; refusal of some seamen to allow the president of the Racing Conference to travel by steamer because they disagreed with some of his opinions. No word of protest against this violation of freedom and fair piny had come from the Labour benches. “The men who are adopting and encouraging methods of this kind are false to every principle of democracy, and so far from advancing the cause ot ‘Laliour they are setting it back half a century,” continued Mr Isitt. “What about sabotage:' Sabotage is going on in this country, directly encouraged by tin' men who dare call themselves-the icqiresentat lives of Labour. There is sabotage that is far more subtle than the action of the man who cast's sand into the power plant of a factory. Men who go through this country instilling into the minds of the workers the idea that they serve their own interests by going slow and hindering production at a time when nothing hut increased production can enable this country’ to face its financial difficulties arc- indulging in sabotage of the very worst kind. I defy tile Labour leaders to show that bv encouraging direct action, by going slow, by a policy of domination of the whole community by one narrow class, they arc serving the interests of Labour or of the country. . . They tread umler-foot the principle of Government by the majority of the people, and by the encouragement of sympathetic strikes, by direct action, and by going slow, they try to bulldoze the whole community. They are betraying Labour and misleading Lahour.'’ Mr Isitt predicted that -. the time would come when the workers would relise that the extremists leaderhad done them nothing but harm.