The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “The Wes Coast Times.” MONDAY 4th. APRIL, 1921. THE LOYAL SPIRIT.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 April 1921, Page 2

The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “The Wes Coast Times.” MONDAY 4th. APRIL, 1921. THE LOYAL SPIRIT.

Tiik foundation of good government is a loyal spirit. With locally, freedom under the constitution is assured. \\ ithout it there must be restrictions put ipon . personal freedom, for the law and order of a country must be safeguarded. A nation invariably gets the go\eminent it deserves. In free countries like our own where the franchise is so wide, embracing both adult sexes, the government of the country is in the hands of the people completely. Once in ew.v three years at most, polities go into the melting pot. and from the fierce fires of a general campaign the people make their choice of representatives. These assort themselves in accordance with ' party, and the dominant power rules for the time being. No greater politifreedom wiiibl be wished for. and if the people would only set up the light standard' of lile and action there could |, t . no douhl about tin- puriiy of the government nor >iie sanity of it-' actions. In a country such as this caste or class is not so noticeable as in the older peopled places. We have nudl,\ our traditions established yet. and we are fortunate is not possessing a di\ision holding great wealth. The idle rich are not with us. and our capital-ists—so-called —are all busy men. captains of indiistrv or organisations, assisting to promote the industrial and commercial advancement of the country. In the present financial stringency it is the large business concerns which are feeling the pinch, indicating that there is not an accumulation of reserve wealth in the country, and that the •capitalist” is more concerned than anyone' about the effects ol the stiingenev. because his wealth representing really his thrift and enterprise- are hound up in the national welfare of country. This being s<> there is no occasion for sharp divisions into ela-w-'s wo are all one class, and New Zealand is the more fortunate because it is so. We have a beautiful country, richly endowed with climate* and potential wealth. Tht> country needs sane government backed by useful consistent production, and it will have a future excelled by no other country. The class who are always against the government; tnosc who would birk production—these are the enemies of the times. They lack loyalty to their country and to those about them. They are disloyal to themselves because by their antagonist • actions they retard progress, germinate a disloyal spirit, and instead of being builders are destroyers. They are not useful citizens. They operate adversely and their cheap clap - trap is full of harm, for the unwary are too often caught with the phrases of these folk who have nothing to lose and everything to gain it' they can keep their job as glib-tongued agitators. There is another type of disloyalty, also, which refuses to render adhesion to the I* lag which stands for the Empire of which we are part and parcel. There lias been an open exhibition of tit is spirit at the St. Patrick’s day celebration in Victoria. New Zealand is so happily eireii,instanced in the freedom it gives its citizens that it cannot afford to allow anything of a kindred hostile spirit to that rearing its head in Victoria, to appear in this Dominion. It is not so long since the Prince of Wales passed through New Zealand and the wave of loyalty which manifested itself was proof of the soundness at heart of the population. From time to time there are signs of opposition, hut while they are to he regretted in many wavs, they have a potency the disloyalists I little dream of. Those ebullitions of , anti-British feeling have quite a liarden--1 ing effect on public opinion in general. Public opinion in regard to loyalty to the Throne and Flag of Great Britain is overwhemingly sound in this country, and it would he well for those who hold opposite views to realise that fact and order their speech and their actions accordingly. The country loves its freedom, and will maintain it at all costs. Those who would seek to sow dissension are quite on the wrong track, following a hopeless course so far as their own endeavours are concerned for they are hardening public opinion against themselves all the time. 'Hie country is loyal to the core and will remain so to the last.