THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1912. "WHIGS" AND "TORIES."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10689, 16 July 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1912. "WHIGS" AND "TORIES."

There, is a class m every community which ifindis a delight in. addressing other people .by opprobrious names. This class is usually the bigoted, the arrogant, and the disappointed. It is not surprising:, itiherefiore, that the Hon. Mr Massey should, on account of recent vicarious events, he spleneti* cally described as a "T'ciry." Those 'who use the term probably db not understand lilts precise meaning. But Ithat, as Kipling ..would say, is. another .story. It is intended to associate the 'leader of the Progressive Liberals with a class whose primary con--s-ideratibn is "self," and on this account it 'is grossly offensive. The word "Tory," it may he mentioned, is of Hibernian, origin, having been' (first employed, (so .it is : said) to designatb the robbers and -"hog-trott-ers" who (infested certain districts ini Ireland during Ithe. sixteenth ceni?ury. Subsequently, in the reign- of Chanlas the Second, in (circumstances which are not fully authenticated, "Whig" and "Tory" were adopted as the respective sobriquets of the twb glreat political parties ini the State. Originally niicknames, so to speak, they 'quickly won acceptance as seriously recognised labels; and for a century .and a half, or longer, the words had a reputable history and a dear significance. Both are now obsolete, even in England. Why, then., should they be empTioyed in a young country which- pretends not to discrimi r hate hit its legislation in favour of fene class as against another ? The (English "Tory" hasi developed into •what is known as the "Conservative," and the "Whig" rinto the "Libelral." We, hi iNew Zealand*, however, have never possessed either a "Tory" or a "iWhig" Government in l the sense in which the term was employed in England. Consequently there has been no development. into either the Conservative for itihe The party which has held the reins of office has arrogated to itself the title of "Liberal," hut if its claim to the distinction be measured by its action's, then, it hasi Ibeen sailing for years under false colours. .Webster tells us that a "Liberal" .is "one who favours greater freedom in political and

religious matters. . .a reformer." H'as the pamty roffiich (lias occupied ,the Treasury benches for the last two' decades given us greater freedom ' in political matters? Hats Mot the whole (trend of itia legislation, beem to create a community of serfs and State dependents? Has it attempted any of the great reforms for which the people have clamoured? The answer lis | given .by the three Commissions which have recently ibeen ■ tabing evidence ini the Dominion. A "Conservative" its described iby Webster as one who wislieis t<> preserve the established -customs and the existing order of things. Can it ibe tsaid that the Massey Government aig desirous of mainl- - the order fof things as it has existed for the last twenty years? •Have not the platform (utterances of the party been in quite the opposite direction l ? Has there Aot been a demand for greater political freedom? Have not Mr .Massey and big followers been ardent reformers? If, then, the meaning of the-term, (is correctly interpreted by Webster, surely the present iGoverniment are the "Liberals" and their predecessors, in office are the "Conservatives." By the same token, if a Conservative be a Tory—and we are 'loth th admit that he is—the Tories are certainly not on Mir MassevV side of the House. "\