THAT PURSE. Its Destination Decided.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 130, 27 December 1902, Page 8

THAT PURSE. Its Destination Decided.

THE Premier has accepted the Wellington instalment of the National Purse. His admirers give him that money, and the people who, before the elections, knew he intended taking it, sent him back to Parliament. This latest Seddoai sin is a perfect godsend to the people who would have refused a similar purse had they done anything to deserve one. Be sure that the incident has not closed with King Dick's acceptance of the lucre. There it, material in the fact of its acceptance for a volume of jibes, and the volume will run into several editions. * * • Theie seems to be a disposition Dn some quarters to imagine that Mr. Seddon, by some occult means, known only to himself, hypnotised the multitude of subscribers into contributing the money. There have even been accusations that pressure was brought to bear on people in the public seivice, whereby they were chivvied into parting with their hard-ea,med wages foi the purpose of glorifying a man who insisted on this form of adulation One would think, from the stand taken by these' captious critics, that the acceptance of a money present b\ a politician was w ithout preceden t • * « If the admiration ot the people of New Zealand runs to th"3 form of expression, why should the} not be allowed to give Mr Seddon sovereigns 0 Surely, the united subscribers to the presentation have a perfect right to establish a precedent of their ow n Supposing that, the money having been raited for the purpose of this purse, Mr. Seddon had point blank refused to accept it, do you not think that tihp people who had gone to so much trouble to express, by something tangible, their appreciation of the man, would have been too disgusted for words? We think so.

Mr. Seddon, according to the people who are bubbling yet, and will boil over before long, might have put liis foot down on the project as soon as it was mooted. Why didn't heP Well, for the same reason that he did not refuse that £872 on Monday. Despite bitter opinions to the contrary, there can be no doubt that the national tribute to Mr. Seddon, and the form it took, was popular. The money, having been subscribed for a specific purpose, he had no desire to insult the donors by refusing it. * * * That no other colonial politician lias received a similar compliment is true, and tthat no previous occasion was unique enough to have warranted it is also equally true. Opportunity was thrown in the way of the masterful political head of the colony to do a service to the Empire, that no man in a similar position has ever had. Why did not he refuse to grasp the opportunity, as he, in the opinion of many, should have refused to grasp the purse? The outcome of his action is so well known that it need not be repeated. It is to his enduring credit thet he was prompt to iseize at once the opportunity of doing the State a great service, and that his action brought all the other colonies into line. ♦ • • You cannot assess the value of his services in sovereigns, but sovereigns serve the purpose of acknowledging, in some slight degree, tlie indebtedness of the people to Mr. Seddon. Don't you think it is rather remarkable that the "dreadful" Papawai speech, the "iniquitous" Public Revenues Act, the "repudiation " and "acceptance of the purse," and all the dear old stock Seddonian sins, have been insufficient to overthrow the Premier from his pedestal ?