INJUDICIOUS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 9016, 30 December 1907, Page 4

INJUDICIOUS.

The telegram from Palmerston North which we published on Saturday, giving an account of an interview between a Press reporter and Mr Keir Hardie, possesses especial interest in view of the hostile criticism to which that gentleman has been subjected by a section of the Press of the dominion for some time. Mr Hardie took upon himself most unwarrantably to characterise the editors of the New Zealand papers as "unscrupulous cads" who "ought to be ashamed of themselves." This was his response to the question whether he would say something about his tour in India. It would seem that the mention of the word "India" was to him equivalent to the flaunting of a red rag before a bull, and that it should be so is somewhat | significant. Now, we don't at all mind what Mr Keir Hardie chooses to think or say of the Press of New Zealand. The freedom of this country, which he hopes to make freer by his visit, permits of a great deal of liberty of speech, amongst other things, and a man may make himself absolutely ridiculous without much notice being taken of him. That is one of the blessings of our politicosocial condition which Mr Hardie ought to make a note of for the benefit of his socialistic followers at Home. ' We would just draw Mr Hardie's attention, however, to the statement of that old-time Socialist, Paul, that while all things may be lawful all things are not expedient. In the face of all that has recently occurred in connection with the British M.P's. visit to India, it especially behoved him to be careful not to "give the enemy cause to blaspheme"; but that he has found himself unable to adopt so prudent a course leads us to suspect that much that was said of him through the cables had more thnn a little basis of justification. We believe that many of the statements he made during his memorable tour in India were perfectly true, but we are now disposed to think that ■ his speeches were marked by an injudiciousness that warranted their condemnation. As the song puts it, "It's not so much the thing he said as the nawsty way he said it." A leader of men should not be thin-skinned nor virulent. We are afraid Mr Keir Hardie is both.