The Hokitika Guardian MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1923 THE FUTURE OF LIBERALISM.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 February 1923, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1923 THE FUTURE OF LIBERALISM.

The Liberal-Labor party at its late caucus in Wellington rejected the overtures by Reform and resolved to exist as a separate party, and maintain the principles of Liberalism. All true Liberals will agree with that step which suggests at once that the present party | >s not a party of expediency, ready to j cake or reach office at any price. The ! rejection of the Reform overtures was | well-deserved on their merits. A few j weeks ago the Reform candidates and | their friends were gadding about the i country, and holding forth from every { platform that the Liberals were down j and out! Today many of the same I folk are pleading for the Liberals to j come over and help them ! During the I general election many a Liberal candi- | ! (kite was approached either openly or ! by a side influence to give a pledge j to Mr Masscv such as Mr Isitt, for i instance, gave. To their credit the ! liberals rejected that course, and : though it cost some of them their seats they proved themselves the better men for their declared independence of nci tion. lake Rienzi of old “they will

come again,” and bring with them a clear conscience, able to face any audience, and boldly declare for a Liberal policy. As to the recent caucus, it is of interest to roquote the resolutions reached by the elected Liberals in the present House. They were: That the Liberal-Labour Party declares for the maintenance of its identity as a distinct party, initiating, promulgating and actively supporting the principles of true Liberalism and the real interests of tbe people. That the Liberal-Labour Party declares that SO long as the Ref »• Party continues to represent and to he mainly influenced by the owners of large vested interests, large landowners and controllers of monopolies in Now Zealand tbe opposition of the Liberal-Labour Party to the same will he vigorously maintained. That the Liberal-Labour Party declares its continued sympathy with the genuine aspirations of wageearners for improved economic conditions and the achievement of the same by constitutional means, hut emphasises its continued opposition to all extreme revolutionary proposals.

The resolutions are hut a recital in concrete form of the Liberal principles upon which the late general election was louglit by the party. Stripping that contest of its intrigue and desperate efforts by the Reform party to "in, tie or wrangle, we are persuaded that no better policy is fitted for the future of New Zealand than that promulgated by the Liberals. If the Liberals had been given a fair Held in December last they would have won handsomely. We are inclined to think that, the integrity now displayed by the Liberals, emphasising their adherence to a line of policy which served so great a purpose for Now Zealand in the past. will impress the people more and more with the sincerity of Liberalism which is in essence essentially a peoples’ policy. It would lie very easy lor Mr Wilford and 1 1 is party if they were merely seeking office, to accept the olive branch held out by Mr Massey and say. very well, we will range under your banner if you give up place and power. The reward would be given. But New Zealand now understands that Lilx-ralism is made of better material than that, and its record of the past suggests i hat ir should lie so. When the war caused a. necessity for a coalition, and the King through the Gov-ernor-General urged it, Sir Joseph Ward put country first, and his party went over to help Reform. The Liberals did Trojan’s work in the Coalition Ministry, and with the end of the war the Liberals withdrew--though they might have continued. Yet the Liberals were never given full credit for the national work performed in those times of extremity. So too with their great record in the past, when from 1891 onward, they lifted New Zoalanda ahead, and made it one of the most notable little countries in the world-—the newer generation are not recognising those colossal services. Rut they stand as a record. They indicate what the Liberals wore capable of. They Wo an assurance that Liberal Principles soundly applied by a moderate party can go far in tile furtherance of national prosperity. They arc the key to the future. The* trend of political thought to-day indicates that the clay of the Liberal party is returning, and that sooner rather than Inter the country will call them to power and performance. A country so essentially democratic as New Zealand, should be the permanent home for Liberalism because its people ns a. whole will benefit so directly from the tenets of a lull and free Liberal policy, that the country cannot for long hesitate to seize and espouse a line of political raith wliieh will bring them such great good national fortune.