WORTH THINKING OVER.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 November 1921, Page 9

WORTH THINKING OVER.

OUR IMPERIAL RESPONSIBILITY. THE GREATER DUTY OF ELECTORS. A short remark made by the Prime . Minister, Mr. Massey, on the duty of . electors appears to us so pertinent at the present, and its essential principle so [ free party relation, as to justify » some further emphasis and elaboration, x Mr. Massey said: “I don’t want to touch . on party politics at t‘he moment, but I s wish to say that a new duty has come . to electors in the last few years. They . must remember when they are casting r their votes at the ballot-box that indir- ’ ectly, perhaps directly, the man for the woman) elected will have a say, not only in the affaire of his own country, but, what is far more, in the affairs of the Empire. It is well to remember that > and vote accordingly.” Of course this duty of considering our ? Imperial responsibilities rests upon all ■ of us, both electors and elected. There ■ exists the danger that many electors . may consider it is not their concern bur I the business of the members elected, and i the members, on the other hand, consir der it solely the responsibility of Min- ‘ isters and the higher dignitaries. It is I well that in our democratic Dominion L strong emphasis should be laid on the - fact that even in the higher matters that j concern the Empire the primary rest ponsibility rests with the average citizens. There are those taking part in the politics of the country, both electors and elected, who think lightly of the unity of our great Empire and talk 5 sometimes with sneers about the British constitutional combination. We find 3 such persons representing the Empire as if it was a form of Eastern autocracy, with all power being directed from the ■ head ruler and a general state of en* l slavement obtaining, under which all ‘ parts of the Empire are only subject det pendencies under an iron despotic rule. r This view, which is held by some as a faith and suggested by Red advocates in veiled language on many occasions, is but a travesty of the real character of . the British Empire. In reality our Em--3 pire is in a large measure a world-wide . i federation of many free States and naj • tions. It would be quite as ridiculous to .[regard the several States of Northern , • America as in a position of bondage, bc- . cause they arc all subject to the Union J that constitutes the United States of. ’ ■ America, as it is to think of the several [parts of the British Empire as being in | subjection to some occult power of centralised authority. For such reasons it . ;is well that the electors should ever rc- ; member that on them rests the rceponsi . • bility of maintaining the (Empire since ■ they unitedly constitute the Empire. This that Mr. Massey calls a new duty ’ jis, after all but the nld duty of re.- ’ imembering that we are Britishers bear, ing a great heritage of race, traditions, institutions, customs and traits of ehar- ’ actor which are worthy of preservation, . not merely for our own sake, but for | that of humanity. Our fathers did not forget the greater calls that came Io {them, and how .shall their sons and Idaughters do so. To-day the citizens (must realise that they are living in a [greater world, members of a great Em t pire with tremendous responsibilities land, as electors of a free Dominion, be men and women. Playing the i game of life with high and noble ambi- ‘ , tion, they cannot help but vote accord--5 ingly. I Citizenship Is the foundation of ou*r | Empire, and the rights and duties of ‘ : electors are the keys to unlock the gates •■of further freedom for ail. This free- ’ dom will still retain its British character » of moving on constitutional lines of or»1 derly progression. The words of our ’j lh-ime Minister command serir.u® attention, not because the realisat’cn of the j- higher duty of electors is a t-.i.sk tf> be ‘ [ fulfilled, but rather because it is a priLjvilege to uphold the Empire which means > ; .-so much towards the advancement of j ; mankind. -i (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare