The Daily News FRIDAY, MAY 15. MR. MASSEY-A SOCIALIST!

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 123, 15 May 1908, Page 2

The Daily News FRIDAY, MAY 15. MR. MASSEY-A SOCIALIST!

Ml. Alassey is easd\ accessible, he is genial, hearty, a man poMsCatjiiig (jualiiication* certain to command respect U not to excite jjeuerai warm regard, but a- a leader ui nwm lie eamioi be said lo huvo pi'OVUll u eOHSpICUOUS SUCCCS&. ter the past twelve Mr. Alassey appears to have spent ni* time and nailed his opportunities in denouncing Sooialitju, so thai now it may ,be InithftiJly awnt-d that in -New Zealand there is no man to wnom Socialism ouivs so much Air. During hist recess, ail through last session una cilice last .-session Air Aia.v-cy has 1101 delivered a single speech in which he ha* not, lu tlie best oi his ability, advertised the cause ol Socialism, which, like rjoine ill weeus, spread* the l'aster the more it is trodden upon. Thb more lie tried to belabor Socialism lite more Socialism ha* thrived. Socialists do not reply tu Air. Masses ; Lhey have not shown the slightest riigii oi resentment at anything ll that ha? fallen from liiiu; indeed, there is every r«a-nii to believe that they are very v.ell contented to let lorn go on. This i> to Ik- nolcd. It does not appear lo have occurred lu him thai no matter how haul he roared, there was not the .■dighteat eclio, not the smallest responding reverberation.

Some two years ago Mr. l«eorge lleid, Liu? leader of 1 tie Conservative Party in the Commonwealth Parliament, »el forth on a tour of Australia as the great aiui-bociaiist apostle. In a great many of the places he vibited the people lur ihe most part were blissfully innocent of any knowledge of {socialism, Uil the importance Mr. lleid seemed to attach to it clothed the subject with (juke a fascinating interest. Mr. Keid could not tarry with them for more than a iew hours, but lor months after he had, departed the tenets of the new eoeialistie gospel were canvassed and debated, with the result that the progress of Mr Iteid's '"stumping'' tour from town to town easily be followed by the ftoeiaiUtie trail he lelt behind. . -\lv. lieid had the good aense to drop talking .SocialisDflj and it is doubtful whether he has .ever said any word about ii since. Obviously, Mr. Massey has not prolited by Mr. Ucid's experience.

Again, another striking fact might reasonably have been expected to dawn upon the comprehension of Mr. Massey. The party he leads is not destitute able meitj it must be admitted, indeed, that oi them ale endowed with a very fair of common sense, llow comes it that none of them follows his leader ii* denouncing Socialism? It may be taken as an indisputable fact that every one of them share* professed vieWs 011 the subject of Socialism, but

by not one of them is ihe word ''aocialisnv' ever breathed. The party to a | man a siolid and very discreet ; silence, whilst .Mr. .Massey, iigurativeiy. ritamps ami tears his hair. The conclusion is obviou- that in ih«'i\ 1 ment the course being followed by their leader is radically bad. at all events such a course as they canuot join in. It might Ik 1 expected that in the course of his rampageous career Mr. Massey would look back to >ee where his loilowers were. (M course no one could keep pace with him, but they might reasonably be close behind if not 'vloSe. up." If he had looked back he eouM not have failed to observe that not one ol them had ever started. Mr. Massey, apparently, has not noticed the attitude of his own party any more than he has noted the conspicuous fiasco of Mr. lleid.

Thelv i»< of course, another view, but it I is one. that we are convinced not many of our readers will be prompt to accept, Mr. Massey is a gentleman of observation and reflection, and as such is fully cogilisaut of all that has been here >et forth. His followers, of course, are anti-socialistic, and consequently preserve a judicious, sullen silence. Mr Massey dill'ers from his followers as his attitude displays. Mr. .Massey, at heart, is a Socialist, and is striving under cover of avowed hostility to render Suciali>m all the service he can. It mu*t be cnufev-cd that thN vi"w explains and reconcile* everything. Me never lose-, an opportunity to talk Socialism, and is doing more for Social-* ism than auy man iu the country. To -aippn-e thai he i-, not quite aware id that i> (o deny |[ini the po»4e**ion id {•minion M'Hse. Mr Massey knows perfectly well what he is doing. This >ug-ge-tion j* ingenious and quite feasible, only as a man of common-sense Mr. Massey must know that the revelation ot his true character as an advanced revolutionary Socialist must inevitably ionic; indeed, it cannot be long delayed. If, indeed, there is any foundation of fact in the suggestion that has been made, it would be wise on the part o) All*. Mas-ev to at once throw oil" lh.' mask he has worn so long and so well ami ojienly assume the leadership ot some half-dozen members with Socialistic proclivities in the House who, it is now to lie. remembered, have always accorded him a very suspicious degree of attention and respect. It requires all the faculties ot a very able 111 a n to play for any length of time a double part; but then it i h argued that Mr. Massey n a very able man. It must be admitted the circumstances are suspicious. but. nowithstanding. the suggestion of Mr. Massey a* a disguised Socialistic leader is not endorsed here.