The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1891. THE LIBERAL LEADER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2146, 6 January 1891, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1891. THE LIBERAL LEADER.

Nothing could be more sickening to persons who understand the position than the present parrot crj that Mr Ballance is unfit to lead the House. The Torj has raised this, and of csurse the Liberal must re-echo it. Of the two the Tory has more sense than the Liberal, although, to tell the truth, neither of them has much ef it. The Tory can gull the Liberal into believing anything, He gulled him into believingthat the Stout-Vogel Ministry were extravagant, and now he is trying to gull him into believing that Mr Ballance is incompetent as a leader. The general run of people form their opinions just in accordance with the general clamor, and never try to think for themselves, When Sir Julius Vogel went Home as A gent-General in 1876 Sir Harry Atkinson took the lead and the same cry was raised. He was totally unfit to lead, and the result was that Sir John Hall resigned his seat in the Upper House and became Premier. Very shortly afterwards Sir John Hall retired, Sir Harry Atkinson again took the lead, and now he is worshipped as a Heaven-sent Premier. Sir Harry Atkinson was a better man ten years age than he is to-day, yet ten years ago he was not fit to lead, while to-day he is the only leader in the House, if we are to believe the parrot cry. In the same way when Mr Bryce joined the Ministry for the first time he was set down as totally unfit for the position and ridiculed all over the colony. Now, after a lapse of 8 or 9 years, three years of which he was absent from the House, he is supposed to be the next best man in Parliament. Mr Bryce was a better man 8 or 9 yeara ago than he is to-day. When Mr Mitchelson joined the Ministry in 1883 the whole country laughed at the idea of a man who had never made but one I speech in Parliament being lifted into|

such a position. Just as Mr Bryce bad bean reminded that he began life as a cowboy, Mr Mitchelaon was told that he was specially qualified to be Minister for Public Works, as he life aa a carpenter's apprentice. Mr Mitchelson h?s certainly not been a shining light, but he has managed to struggle through as acting Premier. Then there is Captain Russell. He is talked off as the next probable Premier. Is there in this colony one man out of a lunatic asylum who will stand up and Bay that Captain BusseU is the equal of Mr Eallance in point of ability, political knowledge, or official experience ? Mr Ballance has had fire or six years' official experience; Captain Russell has had five or six months, yet, though the latter gentleman is 50 degrees below the former in intellectual capacity, we are told the inferior man is fit to lead while the superior man is net, i Now the honest truth is that all this noise is part of a conspiracy got up purposely to frighten the people, so as to alienate their sympathies from Mr Ballance, and weaken his influence. They, are afraid of progressive taxation on land, they are afraid of the land monopolies being attacked, and they are afraid that if a Liberal administration succeeds in effecting any important reforms the people will eventually open their eyes to the iniquities which have been practised in the past. This is at the bottom of it all, and the only cord they have to play at present is to run down Mr Ballance. It is a card that may succeed. Mr Ballance is right, but we are afraid that all his followers are not. Mr Ballance will undoubtedly make a capable leader, but has he a capable following ? Time alome will tell, Mr Ballance has only one fault; he is too gentle, he fights with kid-gloves, but there are amongst his followers those who can do the fighting part, and do it with great ability, so his weakness will not be felt.

SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY. The Society for the advancement of Science will open its session for 1891 in Christchurch on the 15th of the present month. This is a Society compiised of the leading scientific men of Australia and New Zealand, and when it is known that the Governor of Tasmania is only vice-president of it, any one can see that it must be comprised of the best men. And yet this assembly of the most learned men of all Australasia are going to waste their time on discussing the subject of State Bank of Issue. Eancythat. Why the most ignorant man in this district could tell them that it is a fad, and that any one who would support it is a faddist, if not altogether cranky. Of course these scientific men know nothing at all about it; they have not the brains. It is, however, straDge that the State Bank question continues to be still agitated. It is being discussed in all the Australian colonies just now, and we learn that a paper is to be established in Newcastle to advocate it. It will come to pass yet.