The Premier.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 62, 14 February 1885, Page 4

The Premier.

The Hon. Robert Stout needs a word of friendly wanning. He is being a little too much be-Premiered just now at the Lyceum. In con- , sideration of his political aptitudes ; ! the New Zealand public are willing to ignore or condone (says the writer of " Passing iiotes " m, the Otago Witness^ his anti-Christian craze, but they will not bear to be reminded of it too often or too offensively. Assuredly Mr Stout has riot been made Premier because he wished to destroy the Christian religion, and his credulous disciples at the Tiyi ceum cannot too soon endeavour to get a grasp of that fact. Otherwise their idol will have a fall. It was not discreet m the Mr. Stone (whoever he may be), who lectured m the Lyceum a fortujght ago, to remind us that Mr. Stout's AntiChristmas address was delivered by the " Premier." This : is : a fact which a good many political friends*' of Mr. Stout are anxious to forget. Nor were Mr Gerald Massey's felicitations on the courage displayed

by New Zealand m being the first colony to elevate a Freethinker to the Premiership either politic or m good taste. Indeed, they were an irritation and an offence. If a man marries a woman who squints, does he like his friends to congratulate him on his "courage !"" In elevating Mr. Stout to the Premiership, i the people of New Zealand have not approved of the lion, gentleman's squint, they have merely refused to take account of it. If ever the day conies when they do take account of it — estimating Mr. Stout by his religious opinions, and not by his politics — m that very day will his popularity perish, it will collapse like a pricked bladder, and not all the breath of his Lyceum worshipers will ever inflate it again. No, not though each of them puffed with forty-Stanford power ! My advice therefore is, don't parade the Premier's Premiership too much at the Lyceum. The public don't like it. They will tolerate m plain Robert Stout what they won't tolearte m the Premier of New Zealand.