The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1884. MR McCARDLE'S VIEWS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1727, 4 July 1884, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1884. MR McCARDLE'S VIEWS.

Mr McCardle comes forward as an opposition candidate without pledging hiaiself to snpport any political leader in the colony. This is a very comfortable position, to take as it frees the candidate assuming it from any awkward ties or pledges, If Mr McCardle is returned lie will go into the House simply as ail independant member. It is obvious that in a community where Party Government prevails a man must be on one side or another or be regarded as an outsider. The policy of an individual member, however broad and comprehensive it may be, and especially if that member be a novice, has not the remotest chance of being carried out by Parliament. We fear that Mr McCardle would simply add one to the talkiug party in the House, and if he defeated Mr Beetiiam take one from the working party, The talking members, who take the floor of the house on every possible occasion, are usually regarded as impediments, rather than aids to good legislation. In England it is understood that only the leaders of Parliament are allowed to speak at any great length, but in New Zealand every Opposition member in the house fancies he is a leader and speaks accordingly. This is the position that we fancy Mr McCardle would take and it is one that would bear no fruit for the benefit of the colony or the district. Surely Mr McCardle must have confidence in some of the leading politicians of the colony. Yet in his speech he expresses none. Does he imagine that he is the "one man" in New Zealand who undertands politics, and who is to brush everyone else aside. Tho main fault of Mr McCardle's speech is his self assertion. No one believes Mr McCardle to be a heaven born ! politician who will regenerate New Zealand, but he evidently himself has a suspicion that such is the case. He sails along in his speech through cloudland showing all the wonderful things he means to do, but failing altogether to grasp the present position of political parties, and the practical questions at issue. Mr McCardle's political programme omits the names of men like Sir Julius Vogel, Atkinson, Grey, Montgomery, and Ormond

men on whom the future government of the colony must necessarily , depend, and puts in place of them the magic ( word" MoOardlE;-,' This won't do !' We wouli sooner have seen Mr McCahdle take a more modest position and evince some knowledge of practical politics or of his capacity to grasp them. He promises to make our liberal land laws still more liberal, to sweep away the Native Department, to take the management of the railways out of the hands of the Government, to abolish the Upper House, and to decapitate highly-paid Civil Servants. But we need not dwell on these things, Mr McOardle does not mean any harm. He will never do any such dreadful act as to send the Legislative Council to Jericho. It is only his gas; only his election powder he is firing off. Should lie attain a seat in the House the experiences of a session or two would probably take the "inflation" out of him, If Mr McOardle is a political giant who towers head and shoulders above the big men of the colony, by all means send him into the House, but if, as we suspect he has " blown himself" out for the occasion it would be a risky'thing to make him the representative of die district because we want semething more from our member than tall speaking.