The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1918. THE WEBB' CASE.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 April 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1918. THE WEBB' CASE.

(With which is Incorporated The T*ihapo Post and Waitasarino News)..

The first meeting of Parliament, held on Tuesday, was not conspicuous for any indications of legislative profundity. A few most unimportant questions were asked and a few perfunctory speches were made in connection with members of "both Houses who have "crossed the bar" since Parliament was last in session. An important, announcement was received from the Defence Authorities informing the House that Mr. Webb, the Member for Grey had been sentenced to two years imprisonment for disobeying military orders. This announcement was received in silence, no comment was made and from no quarter came the usual request for leave of absence when a Member cannot be present. It is said that Parliament will, under the circumstances, refuse to grant leave in this case. If leave is not oiven the punishment inflicted by the Military Court will be more than upheld by Parliament for it will be increased to such an extent that every fair-minded person in the community, all who are liable to be similarily dealt with, may well wonder whether it might not have been as well, and just as humane to have ordered Mr. Webb, M.P., to be shot forthwith. In taking extreme measures Mr. Webb's constituency would have fared no worse; the people of Grey are in the 1 meantime disfranchised by the Military Court, and they are likely to be permanently deprived of their elected representative's /services by the refusal of Parliament to give him leave of absence either from attending the session, or from the gaol during the sitting hours, A stupid farce has to be enacted for the whole of the present session, the electoral district of Grey has to be disfranchised while it lasts and at its conclusion Mr. Webb loses his seat for absenting himself without leave. Webb may deserve all the punishment awarded but what have the people of Grey done that they diould lightly be disfranchised? In the personal aud political bitterness that is following Webb, there should be extreme care that no constituency should be deprived of its political rights. One is led to ask where the Military-Court's judgment vfalls the heaviest, whether on Webb or on the electors of Grey. We have no shred of sympathy with Mr. Webb in his refusal to obey the law, nor with the attitude he has consistently maintained since war was declared. We realise . that had men who preached the W r ebb doctrines had their way in Britain, Germany would now have, been masters of nearly the whole world; and we may digress to say that it must be gratifying to the British Authorities to know that labour member Henderson, of whom. Webb professe to be a disciple, has now fully realised the true nature, of -the pit of destruction he had been endeavouring to lead British labour into. Why do not the Webbs and Hollands, who have said they are followers of Henderson recognise the evidence and argument that has convinced their leader and pattern, of his erstwhile insane persistence in promulgating such dangerous doctrines? W 7 hy do they not throw in their weight with th-e Governments of the Empire as; Henderson is now doing to destroy the woul.l-6e destroyer of all governments but their own? Why do they not obey the law, no matter how hardly it presses on any particular person? Flouting the law is not the best or most direct way to its amendment and all people under the law must be made to realise this fact. To ( return to tie sentence inflicted oil Webb for disobeying "military orders: That sentence may be just in the extreme, although such a view may be attacked by an erroneous comparative argument. It will be said that because worso cases were condoned, aided and abetted by the Military Authorities Mr. Webb should not have been punished, or at least they constitute reasons why he should have been dealt with less drastically. There will always be many people who do not.believe in the Webb politics and methods who will regard him as a victim of political spleen; that an opportunity has been seized ( to brutally crush out of existence a political opponent. In the latter case Webb should have avoided giving the opportunity, and to arguo that because BUI Smith was let off Webb should also have been freed from military ; service is ridiculous. It must ever be obvious that one member of the community must not be allowed to flout the law because he and his friends are of opinion that someone else has been allowed to do so with the help and connivance of the very authorities that should not have allowed it If

the law is bad, alter it by constitutional means, the'Ou'c..tiat-.revolts must bear the consequences. -.. Wobb 's punishment is not end with, the two years imprisonment; if he is not given leave of . absence Parliament takes from him the honorarium that every other'Member will receive whether he is present or not, and in addition it takes from him that which the people of Grey conferred on him when they elected him to represent the constituency—he is no longer a Member of Parliament. Then is Parliament justified in carrying the punishment to the electors of Grey, by disfranchising them because of Webb's military misfeasance? The history of the 'politics of the world and particularly of that of Great Britain and Ireland gives good cause for peoples and constituencies to be very jealous of their political rights. Whatever Parliament may do when the question of Webb's leave comes before it, we are of opinion that Mr. Webb has no claim to special consideration, but we are strongly of opinion that Parliament should hesitate, and should not lightly disfranchise the constituency Webb represents.