THE Temuka Leader THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1892. A WORD OP WARNING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2426, 17 November 1892, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1892. A WORD OP WARNING.

In reading Blair’s Histery oi‘ Ausi tralasia recently, we came across ar incident which is good enough tc “ point a moral, or adorn a tale,” ever at the present day. During Sir Thomas Brisbane’s governorship of New Soutl Wales, which commenced in 1821, e young man named William Charles Wentworth became conspicuous foi his poetic ability, brilliant literarj talents, and political sagacity. Mi Wentworth was born in Norfolk Island, where his father occupied the position of surgeon to the prisoners, and he came to New South Wales sc young that he regarded himself as a native of the place. Pie went through Cambridge University, where he greatly distinguished himself, and he published, while in England, books relating to Australia, which at the time were very popular. He also published poems , in one of which the following verse appears- " Land of my hope 1 Soon may this earl} blot Amid thy growing honors be forgot; Soon may a freeman’s hope, a freeman’* blade, Nerve every arm, and gleam through ever; glade 1 ” The “early blot,” of course, was the fact that the place was a convicl settlement, and Mr Wentworth threw his whole soul into obtaining free institutions. Some of the convicts became wealthy and well-conducted, and the Governor insisted on theii civil rights and social position being recognised, but some military officers refused to do so, and they paid for ii by being severely lampooned by Mi Wentworth. Thus he began life i fiery, patriotic youth, battling foi securing freedom to his feliow colo nists. The free institutions wer< established, bat Mr Wentworth’s idehs underwent a change. “He could no brook those democratic institutions, oi endure that full measure of populai liberty, which he at one time s( ardently advocated,” and he left th< colony in disgust. This occurrec many years ago, and great change; have taken place since then. Tin privileges of democracy have beer greatly widened, so that now a large number of bona fide, working mei occupy seats in Parliament, and yei the social earthquakes and the terribh consequences which Mr Wentwortl foresaw have not taken place. Fortunes have since been made, anr wealth has held sway, notwithstanding the extension of the people’s liberties This ought to prove a wholesoim lesson to those who at the present time see nothing but ruin in what the] are pleased to designate as the attack of Labor on Capital, and who threater ' to leave the colony unless things are altered so as to harmonise with their own ideas. Mr Wentworth left New South Wales because hr thought it was going to the dogs, bui it did not go. There are people it this colony who, in the same way, believe it is going to ruin, but the] will find out their mistake in the ( course of time. No country has evet yet suffered by extending the liberties of the masses, and wealth can have nc better security than peaceful, prosperous, contenteu people, Irauce resisted popular demands, neglected to make provisions for the neeuo °* E growing civilisation, and a terrible revolution was the result. England, on the other hand, has wisely kept pace with the times, by legislating for social wants as they arose. The result Is that she does not know what a< revolution is since she dethroned the autocratic Stuarts. In this colony no changes have been effected except in obedience to the demands of public opinion, and so long as legislation is kept within such limits serious consequences need not be apprehended. There would be far more danger in not complying with popular demands. It is true that changes may for the time being produce altered conditions, but things very soon right themselves, and the man who comes best out of it in the end is the man who has the most rnonev. He has nothing to fear from legislation; what he has to fear is revolutionary violence, such as has taken place in France, and, more recently in Sonth America, and that cannot occur where popular demands meet with compliance. The wealthy classes would do well to remember all this, and also to realise that the world was not made exclusively for themselves. Instead of crying clown the colonv. as they have, been doing, it would he to their interest to accent cheerfully whatever the majority decrees. They have a great deal to lose, and nothing to gain, by damaging the colony in order to discredit their political opponents. It is, as Lord Onslow told them, nothing short of madness, and we trust they will realise it, and bow to the popular will, whatever it may be.