THE HONOURS SCANDAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16484, 25 February 1914, Page 8

THE HONOURS SCANDAL.

There can be little doubt that if the truth were told a very unpleasant scandal would be raised over the traffic in titles in the Old Country. The amazing fact about the present discussion is that the Unionists have had the temerity to provoke it. They must surely be in desperate straits for political ammunition when they open a question that is bound to involve their own leaders. That honours have been virtually sold in return for contributions to the party funds scarcely can he questioned. Wo have repeatedly seen peerages conferred on men whose only claim to recognition was a big hank balance, while men whose services to the nation have been really distinguished have been passed over or rewarded with minor honours. This sort of thing has happened under Unionist as well as under Liberal Administrations; in fact the most notorious instance, one in which it was freely asserted that the recipient of the honour frankly asked what the price would be, occurred when the Unionists were in office. It is deplorable that peerages should have been dealt with in this fashion, but ’t is not easy to see what good purpose could bo served by raising a scandal. The fact of the matter is, of course, that tho Unionists are at their wits’ ends at present in politics and abuse and charges of personal corruption are taking the place of argument. The ultimate effect of a campaign of the kind on which tho Opposition is now entering must he to discredit the aristocracy and to stimulate the democratic movement throughout the country. The exposure of jobbery in con-, nection with titles cannot discredit one party moro than tho other, because both are equally involved, and the disgusted elector will simply cry a plague on both their houses. It would, cf course, bo an immense gain if the two great groups were to adopt a selfdenying ordinance in this matter of rewards and honours, but so long as there are wealthy men anxious to obtain handles to their names and so long as there are parties ready to oblige them the temptation to trade in titles will he irresistible.