PIN PRICKS IN PARLIAMENT. Sir William Russell's Opinion.

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 273, 23 September 1905, Page 6

PIN PRICKS IN PARLIAMENT. Sir William Russell's Opinion.

IT is refreshing in these days of political venom and unreasoning hatred of existing conditions to find a man who has the fairness and impartiality to do credit to the Premier or anyone related to him, although opposed to him in politics. Sir William Russell, at Napier, last week told his constituents that he considered the Premier and his son, Captain Seddon, had come through the voucher incident with their honour absolutely unsullied. » • • Sir William deprecated the system of political warfare based on attacking a man through his family affections. It reflects the high sense of honour and spirit of chivalry which have always marked the hon. member for Hawke's Bay in the parliamentary arena. It also recals politicians generally to the standard which they should observe in the discharge of their public functions. • * * Sir William Russell, for so long the leader of the Opposition, has been able through many a stormy session to fight the Government on their policy and administration without descending to petty personalities. And the present leader of the Opposition, to his credit be it said, does) not derogate from the same standard. It is "the New Liberals" alone who- have chosen the weapon of personal abuse as their own. •* • • If the Don Quixotes who, tilting at the wind - mill this session, had been given a choice of methods with which to strengthen the hands of the Premier and his Government, they could have chosen no surer one tban that which they have pursued. The present leader of the Opposition thanks Providence that the expensive fledglings do not belong to his nest, and the ex-leader — a man universally esteemed, and by no means a fledg-

ling— asserts, with the weight of thirty years' political experience to back him, that the pm-pricking has had no result, and the honour of the pm-pricked is unsullied as far as the voucher incident is concerned. • • • Parliament is the people's' business house, and the members of Parliament are the people's business men, paid by the people The people don't pay Parliamentarians £300 a-yeaa* each to turn Parliament into a bear-garden by making reckless charges against those' in authority. A man may be a politician as well as a gentleman, and the outspoken remarks of Sir William Russell oiiffht to have a salutary effect.