The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 1890.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3590, 18 August 1890, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 1890.

The old Tostament records bow, in the days of Israel, a certain city fell, after a miraculous manner, into the bands of Joshua. Ho and his men captured it without striking a blow j the/ marched round bo many timeß, boy-

cotting it wo presume, blew a bug blast with a ram's horn, gave a big shout, and down camo the walls, and in marohed the conquerors, In some such way the labor party of this Colony expected to carry all before them, and we do not doubt that when Mr Millar, our Colonial Joshua, blow a long blast, and tho poople at his back, gave a big shout, ho and thny honestly believed that tlje wall the? were running their heads against would give way, and they, the conquering heroes, would once more sing a Te Dmm. When, however, the Commissioners, who on this occasion defended Jericho, refused to allow their walls to tumble at the big blast from Mr Millar's horn, tho invaders were placed in an awkward diletnna. If thoy went on with the assault they wero certain to bo badly beaten, if they ref!'eated| they losf their prestige as a conquering army, b')|t they lived to fight another day. The Maritime Council has wisely decided upon the latter alternative, and no* the matter is settled we may expect to Bee a very considerable change in tho sentiments of many members of the labor party, Thousands of these members truly and honestly believed that tho inSueiico of their party was predonivrtant in- tho Colony, that it and thoy have been acting "in this faith, Now thoy will begin to realise the mistake tljoy have made,- Ibey are too honest to take for granted the groaso wherewith liberal organs butter them, These organs say, "You are fine fellows, you have won a great moral victory by yielding," but the men must know themselves that all " moral victory" in tho matter is on the other pjde, The labor party loaded a pistol, pointed ft, called, one, two, throe I and then did notfireit, because, coming face to faco with imminent danger, it saw, for the first time, the plain palpable truth that it did not rulotbe Colony. The fact k that the strsugtb of tho labor party lies in" public opinion," With public opinion it js powerful, without public opinion it has but jfttjc strength.