SIR ROBERT STOUT AT CARTERTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4799, 14 August 1894, Page 3

SIR ROBERT STOUT AT CARTERTON.

(Prom Our Own Correspondent.)

A crowded house greeted Sir K, Stout ;, at .tho Assembly Booms, Carterton, last night, nearly a third being Indies, ■Mr A. Bish, President of the Liberal Association, presided and briefly introduced tho speaker. Bobort, who was applauded on ™ng said it was 15 or 10 years siuce he was at Carterton and remarked on its

growth. Boferring to, tho subject of his lecture he said first one must ask what was meant by Liberalism and how did it arise P He referred to parties in English Parliaments last century. It Was not till the close of tho eighteenth century that what might be termed Liberal opinions got hold of the people, A great awakening in political life began in Franco, extending to America and on to England, The revolution in France sowed the seed thoy were reaping to-day Thcro began a strugglo at the beginning of this century for personal liberty ana the extension of liberty to tho subject. The struggle up to tho present had had a double nspect. First individual freerights and equality . before thelal. Thus was the Liberal class formed. Ho touched on the representation down to 18i)2, when the lioform From then to 18G7 there ' was a continuaUtrucglo for an extension of Unfranchise. Tliat was the banner tho Liberals kept afloat; thnUnd the ballot. Historically speaking tho Liberals were those who fought for these principles. Tho Chartists were of them. Thoso who opposed them were called Conservatives or Tories. They said only the educated should have the franchise, otherwise it would lower the tono of the country. The result had proved the contrary, At the base ot Liberalism lay this craving for individual freedom. This was the struggle that led even to tho disruption of the Church of Scotland and led to the free church of 1813. The individual must be free. Along with this struggle for individual freedom was the control of tho Slato over our industries and our lands. Early in tho century was brought forward how women were treated in mines and factories. They wfcrc treated worse than their cattle were treated to day, Hence came factory legislation and State interference with industries, which had gone on till to-day. It was opposed by many-Bright and Cobden amongst the number. It was only this century that State education was adopted—only 40 years ago. All this was going on on quite different lines to early Liberal ism. It was called new Liberalism. Thoy had gone through the same in this Colony, From 1850 to 1875 a struggle wont on for provincialism or centralism. They had their war party here as at Home. From one thing to another it got on to the question were they to have factory legislation? The extension of the functions of the Government was the new Liberalism. As a state and nation, their whole aim must be the production of the best men and women that could be got. The same as a farmer, with wheat and cattle, his aim being to produce the best. Men and women, physically beautiful, politically great, and socially pure, should bo their aim. What was termed autocracy was not Liberalism. They wero not going to obey any one man. They would have different opinions, but the true Government must allow them to grow up side by sido in peace and quiet. (Applause). Tho aim of Liberals must be for freedom, What was tho functions of politics on this question? Politics dealt with only one phase of hnman lifc-thc management of their private affairs. They must have their Government and administration pure. Purity in administration lay at the basis of all Liberalism. It must bo economical. It must govern for all people, not one class, Justice must be the foundation of true Liberalism. He referred to what was a great evil in the United States. There, tney looked on the Government as a macliino for the advancement of the individual, It was the doctrine of " spoils to the victors." When a President came into oilice, he dismissed all whei were not of his colour, and that had degraded the Govcrnmentof thatcountry. He advised them to read Stead's hook "If Christ camo to Chicago," Thebcst men of America did not now enter politics. They had got in an inferior class of men and the result was "gross corruption." The capitalist did not go in because it was cheaper to bribe the representative, What ho said was that it was not true Liberalism to have this sort of thing brought into tins colony. • If they wished to see to what lengths this sort of thing could go, tho States was an object lesson for them, They must have free legislation if they sent men to the Houso; they must have freedom to vote and speak as their conscience told them. Tlicy_ must not have men speaking and voting as one set of men directed. (Applause.) That would lead to corruption. If they could get their representatives to speak as they MtthcywouldgettnieLibcrals.Hcspoko of the evils of party Government aud pointed to Switzerland as a cheap, free, and honest Government. Every Bill was voted for on its merits. In the States tho Executive was entirely free from the House. It was good in some points, but not in touch with the people. He advocated tho wholelegislature being elected by ballot. Coming to what was a free pcoplo he said the Swiss mode would extend that freedom. Tho very destruction of this-party system would give them a free Parliament. Thoy must have a free people. Majorities must rule and thero wero continual changes, when the minorities became majorities, He advocated the Swiss Referendum, which mcaut a vote ol the tho wholo electors on all large measures. There wero dozens of questions that turned an election, but if they had it put "aye or no" to the peoplo direct, thoy would have the voico of the people. Tins Ecferendum would guarantee to thorn that no law would pass that had not the approval of the majority of the people. There were many other reforms he might montion in respect to Liberalism.;

Having got their machine, the Government, what wasit to do P How stood tlio.woridtq-dayP They had to look at tho evils existing in the world, and sec if they existed here- They had got in other countries all kinds of freedoms, hut thajfkl not done away with crying evils, 'Was that to he all the result of freedom and democracy—crime and vice in full flow ? Hesaidif they got a porfect Government and the hest legislation, they still had more to get and that was social reform, Social reform was tho great message to the Liborals.AVhatwas causing the evils? He referred to the vice of intemperance, and said they were spending over 2 millions in drink, and they were no true Liberals who refused to. deal with this question, (Applause), He was not going to say flierc wero not good men and women who loved intoxicants, but what followed in its train-vicc,misery, and degradation. (Applause). That was a question their Government must face. Gambling was another evil—one of the worst vices in the Colony,, It was entirely anti-social, Gambling was robbing your neighbour, to make yourself rich, and that was anti-social, They ran down the capitalist.but the gambler gave nothing in return. They could not expect to get rid of the evil forthwith, but it was a question the Government must take in hand. He did not object to a boat race and liked to sec horsse run, but objected to tho gambling clement in connection with them. The life would not be high or noble while gambling prevails, They must encourage tlinft, saving and work. That was the very opposite to gambling. Therewcro very few who got wealthy on a sweep, and they just as soon got poor again. They ought to train their youths to depend on their own exertions,' and commenco to save when young. In cases where men became old and poor through no fault of their own, tho State ought to look after them. Those- who became poor through their own misconduct should not havo the right; toicomp, to tho Government and say ''" I've spent my money in riotous living, and now l

you must kcop me." He advocated a life insiiranco and making provision for old ago, suggesting that anyone putting in a Government office £6O before they too 25 years old should bo entitled to rcccivo £1 a week after thoy reached CO years, and that tho Government should gvvo 6 per cent on tho savings instead of 4 per cent, which would enable such a proposal to ho carried out, They must try and get rid of crime and its causes, Tho Stato must keep control of the lands. By letting it on perpetual lease they would get enough rent to pay all taxes, Ono of the causes of vice nnd'erimo in large towns was overcrowding, It was the slums which led to poverty, drunkenness and crime, The time would come when tho state would have to say not moro than a certain number should live on au acre of laud. They ought to do that now, With the State for a landlord there would be an abolition of mortgages. The money lender was worso than the landlord, and would insist upon his due, or scizo tho lands, The aim of the legislature should he to make the farmer free and independent of the money lender.

He advnd them that they must look upon Government as a friend and not a foe, or they would get no good of it. He told them if they were to have their Government good, thoy must havcitpurc, They must not hnvo them using monoy for tltcirsupportcrsandmustccaso to subsidise papers of the right colour. He advised them to learn their political duties and to coiisidorthc casting of their voto as a great and solemn duty Each individual must do what was right and not go to the ballot on personal liking, but free from bias, He compared tho world now with what it was 200 years back, and held forth high hopes of greater progress. Let them strive to leave tho world belter limn they had found it, helping each other on tho road and thus prove themselves true Liberals and not false ones. (Applause.) | On the motion of Mr T. Proctor, J.P., a hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer 'wascarried by acclamation. The usual vote to the chair concluded the very orderly meeting which was but of an hour and a quarter s duration.