A LIBERAL POLICY.

Kumara Times, Issue 915, 5 September 1879, Page 4

A LIBERAL POLICY.

We take the following extract of Mr Stout's address to the electors of Dunedin from the report which appears in the Otago Daily Times :—ln the forthcoming Btruggle he hoped that the great question of Liberalism and Conservatism would be properly in mind, and not the mere question of Sir George Grey and anybody else. It had been said that Sir George Grey was autocratic, but he (Mr Stout) never found him so. In his quarrel with Mr Ballance he must admit, however, that he considered—from what he had read —that Mr Ballance was in the right and Sir George in the wrong. He did not believe there was in the House of Representatives any man equal to Mr Ballance in finance, or one so thoroughly imbued with a sound Liberal policy and ability to grasp detail. He regretted exceedingly that Mr Ballance was not in the Government, but he hoped that parties would be so arranged as to see his return thereto shortly. (Applause). He again submitted that the people in this contest ought not to put the question of Grey and anti-Grey. They ought to put the question broadly— Liberal or Conservative. They ought to insist on the candidates going through a Liberal shorter catechism. Let them look at France at the present moment. France was now more prosperous than any other part of the world; aud this prosperity was due to this one thing, that there were between 7,000,000 and 8,000,000 proprietors of land in France. N«rly everybody there was a landowner, and habits of thrift and economy had thwebf been induced. Of course it had taken many years to bring about this result, and we must not suppose that we could fall into the mode all at once, though he believed that our legislation Bhould tend in that direction. If we were to have the country prosperous we should see that capital was properly distributed. The distribution of wealth was just of as much importance as its production, because we must not allow the land to remain in the hands of a few. In conclusion he had only to say this—that he believed that New Zealand amongst all Colouies was best suited—from what he could gather by reading—not from observation—for the settlement of a large number of people. Statistics showed that there was a greater production from our soil than they had in the old countries. And he thought that what he had said that night would induce the people of Dunedin to take a greater interest in politics. He had come forward to say something in the interests of the Liberal party, because as he had previously said, they had three papers there against that party, and every side of the question was not therefore represented. He had also come forward because he believed that the Liberal party, through the representatives of Otago, were in a a minority, and he always liked to stick up for minorities. It was easy to clap one's hands when one was on the side of the majority ; they could always get a lot of politicians to shout triumphantly on the winning side. He would finish by citing a stanza or two from a poem of an appropriate character : They are slaves who fear to speak For the fallen and the weak ; They are slaves who will not choose ; Hatred, scoffing, and abuse Rather than in silence shrink From the truth they needs must think ; They are slaves who dare not be In the right with two or three: —(Loud and prolonged cheers.)