The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1905. TOO LIBERAL FOR SEDDONISM.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12640, 30 October 1905, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1905. TOO LIBERAL FOR SEDDONISM.

Political hostility of the " Liberal" order has evidently. taken on a new character in Wanganui. Hitherto no condemnation has been too bitter, no criticism too scathing, for the gentlemen of the Opposition. The mere fact they they sought to capture the seat from the Government was an all-suffi-oient sin, and brought down upon, them, the unqualified denunciation of the local " Liberal" organ. No matter who they were, or what their political opinions might be, they were " bad eggs,'' every one of. them, and with- an j"^" partiality which would have been praiseworthy in a better cause they were stigmatised as benighted Tories and hidebound Conservatives. Of course, as ft matter of fact, they were nothing of the sort, but on the contrary they were, more often than not, more genuinely liberal than their opponents. To-day, however, the "Herald" has begun, to wail in a different key, and, strange as it may j=eem, its readers are asked to vote against Mr Bassett because he is too Liberal! We do not think he is too Liberal. We have invariably given our support to men of broad views and generous sympathies, a/nd we know that Mr Bassett is richly endowed with these excellent qualities. Some people may choose to sooff at the "Herald's" seemingly irrational attitude. But we, recognising the exceedingly awkward position in which our contemporary is.just now placed, are moved to write more in pity than in anger. Our contemporary is in >-he unhappy position ot the old woman who lived in a shoe, and jf whom it is 6aid that ".she had soraanv children that she didn't kno'v what to do." There are four Government candidates, each of whom has exprewd n fixed and irrevocable'-letermiu;i',io.i to go to the1 poll, and tho " Herald ib in" the peculiar predicament of being either unable or "unwiHng to wako a choice. We have no doubt that our contemporary is pitying devoutly that the- Party " Boss"' will come up and " work the oracle," or, in other words, whip at, least, two of the troublesome quartette out of'the field. And it may be that' Mr "Seddon will oblige; but even,if he does, and if bis efforts should prove successful, the " Herald's" position;wiU riot be rendered much happier, for it will be reluctantly oompelled to once more swallow Mr Willis. We say this advisedly, for we have good authority for the statement that the Premier has definitely promised to place the seal of his approval upon the sitting member. Just now, however, the " Herald " has no particular candidate to recommend to the electors. It ,is evidently dissatisfied with the Parliamentary record of the present representative, yet it lacks the courage to select Mr Williams, Mr Hogan, or Mr Gatenby to take his place. But in the meantime the " Herald " must say something, and having nothing better, or worse, to ijay, vit says that Mr Bassett is too Liberal to be an Opposition candidate! Which means, w© take it, that he ought to be a Government candidate, and that if he were a Government candidate the "Herald" would support him. But Mr"Bassett, with all his political virtues, is guilty of the great sin: lie is opposed,to Seddon, he is " agin" the Government, ami the "Herald" must perforce oppose him. With the " Herald " it is noc a question of " the best man for the constituency." Its election creed may be fairly described in the phrase—"anything, man or dummy, pledged to vote for the Party first, last, and all the time." Mr Bassett would indeed 'be. " in strange company " were he associated with the spineless nonentities whose docile servility to the Party " boss " has made it possible for so miserable a creed to became the crucial test of a man's ■" suitability " to represent his fellow electors in Parliament. Mr .Bassett prefers to stand in more wholesome company. To be the approved candidate on the Government side he would have to mortgage his conscience, his vote, and his services to the Party. He refuses to outrage his conscience, ihe claims the right to exercise his vote in accordance with his convictions, and he offers his services to the people. Hence he is an Oppositionist, and not a Seddonite.