OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2585, 5 February 1889, Page 2

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

— « 111(051 OUR OWN iiIUKSPONDKNT.] S-i I'NKY, Wednesday. PROTECTION* AM) I'HICK TRADE. Tin: excitement attending the general election overshadows all other topics. At the present rate of procedure if will be quite a rarity to find a man who is not a candidate or who has not serious thoughts of becoming one. I.loth sides are making great efforts in the way of organisation, and seem resolved to leavo no stone unturned to secure success. Many sacrifices, both of time and money, are being made by zealous partisans. This, of course, is always the case at a general election, but I think we can regard it as so much clear gain that these sacrifices are being made chiefly for the sake of definite clearcut principles, not to settle any soidid paity or personal question between the "ins and the outs," Of course the issue cannot be kept absolutely clear, nor, perhaps, is it desirable that it should be. There are many active influential men who are thoroughly seized of I lie great truth that neither Fiec-trade nor Protection is incompatible with vigorous national prosperity. The United States can be pointed to as an example of the one, and the Mother Country as an exatnplo of the other. The causes which ensure prosperity to a community are moral, rather than political. by the moral and the immoral, the political issue is to a largo extent shelved. The temperance advocates, for instance, regard a candidate's fiscal opinions with sublime indifference. Will he, or will he not-.de-clare for full local option? That, in tl&ir opill ii'.n, is the one tiling needful. On the other hand there are those who sink as far below the political aspect of the struggle as the. others rise above it. What can a candidate be expected to do in the way of getting public money spent in the district? Or, lower still, how much will he lay out in beer for the " free and independent." All these side issues have their weight and tend to complicate the question and obscure tbo significance ot the final decision. Still, roughly and broadly the only valid issue which can be expected to take shapo in legislation is the one which affects the taritf. The Freetraders ask indignantly, " Are we to pay sixpence for what we could otherwise get for fivepence ? ' The Protectionist : "Are we to sacrifice our infant industries at the shriue of a peony wise and pound f<-olish Moloch—the doctrines of Oohden and the Freetrade Association, to wit. As to the prospects of the struggle, opinions are of coursiWioliflicting. Some I of the jonrnaiislic champions of each side 1 i uoint, as t(ie amttisea'iors are sail)

to do, of " lying abroad " for the g-jod of their party. And as their lies usually take tho form of announcing success as certain, they mutually neutrali.-e one another. It would be an interesting and instructive exercise to carefully cut out theso confident prophecies, paste them side by side ill a book, and then compare them with the final result. Many readers, who are now bewildered by the clash of contending assertions, diametrically opposite, yet equally positive, would obtain, by following this course, such a vivid idea of tho ethics of " gutter " journalism, as could not fail to be of the greatest service to them. But what arc the prospects? Surely a candid and unprejudiced looker-on can discern some straws which show the way the wind is blowing. In the first place it may bo taken for granted that none of the arguments, exhortations and dennncations with which the air is thick, will have the slightest clfect on those who-e minds are already made up, except, perhaps, to increase their zeal anil intensify their aniniKsity. The confirmed Free-Trader will remain a FreeTrader, the confirmed Protectionist a Protectionist in spite of anything that can bo said to him. But these are not the men who will decide the battle. The victory will be won by the immense floating mass who have not vet arrived at any definite or settled convictions, but who do what they believe to he best for the good of the country. How will they vote this time? We know how they voted two years ago. And we know also some of the causes which led to that vote. In tins first place there was the magic name of '■ Parkes l'arkes too in the plenitude of power, with all the prestige of victory, Paikes vowing in eloquent and soulstirring phrase that he would devote his great ability to the work of retrenchment and rob.i m for which the country groans, and that he would bring back prosperity by inaugurating the unquestioned reign of Free-Trade. Added to this there was widespread distrust and indignation at the extravagance and recklessness of the then outgoing Ministry.

With all potent elements in their favour, it will be remembered that the victory was not nearly so cmclushe a* was anticipated. There was a working majority, but, there was little ni"re. And, as far as the great question of Protection v. Free trade was concerned, this majority found Itself unable tu repeal the import duties on dairy produce, duties which provide for the permanence of an important and flourishing industry in the districts of the southern coast. What is the case now ? L'arkes is before the country, certainly, but it is not in the capacity of a victor, but of a beaten man—beaten, too, with disgrace. Not this time l'arkes with the leonine roar of a confident conqueror, but Parkcs who comes before the public with plausible apologies for slinking out of office liko a whipped hound. l'arkes who betrayed the fortress before it was taken, and who, either from policy or petulance—both equally disgraceful in a veteran leader —threw his party overboard in a critical moment, and, with his majority still behind him, "courted defeat."

This picture may bo regarded as exaggerated and overdrawn. But, in any case, it must be recognised that the influence of the late Premier uill be very much less potent in the coming election than it was in the last. Putting the question of his retirement on one side, there is the still more damaging fact that, with everything in his favour ho did not redeem promises as to reform, and apparently made no effort to do so. Tho features of his administration which will stick longest in the memory of the public are the " State Dead House" the impudent attempt to filch the name of "Australia" for the colony, and the odour of jobbery which clung so persistently to most of his oolleauuen. Tn place of being an apologist for others, Sir Henry will need this time an apologist for himself. If it tie said that the reason he did not do more was because he was not sufficiently well backed, the inference i.-obvious that ho certainly will attract even less support at the elections which are now pending. If at the former election, with evorythins in his favour he could not obtain a majority determined enough to carry his policy into effect, it is very questionable under present circumstances whether lie will be able to obtain a majority at all. As far as tho odium attaching to Mr Dibbs is concerned, it must be remembered lhat it is considerably softened by time, whilo tho misdeeds of his opponents are still fresh in the memory of the public, ft cannot be denied that Mr Dibbs himself is the weakest feature ill the whole team, and the one most likely to provoke distrust, lint he is admitted on all hands to have chosen good colleagues, and eight good men are surely better able to keep one prodigal in order than one good man to control eight " duffers.''

apart, therefore, from the fiscal question there are many reasons why the result of the coming contest is likely to be a reversal of the verdict of the last. "Why should wn not repeat our victory" confidently, asks Mr McMillan'; Aud the answer is that " we " have done a great deal in the meantime to put victory out of reach. Political opportunities are precious. Once trilled with and lost, they seldom return. This is the 1 e'son which the outgoing Ministry has to learn, and, so far as my individual opinion is worth anything, T think it is one in which the lately dominant party is about to be thoroughly indoctrinated.

The attitude of the Press is uncertain, the big and stately Herald condones all the sins of the late Premier and goes wholesnuled for "Freetrade and l'arkos." The Telegraph pronounces fur Frefitrade, but has no pood word to say for l.'arkps, aud does its best to keep out tlmsu of bis lat;3 colleagues whose names are most notoriously associated with jobbery. The Lvcninjr News clings to the traditional policy of Freetrade, but denounces Parkcs with all the vigc mr of an extensive yocabnlaiy. Tho Star is the official organ of the Protectionists and, though rather too acrid for ?ny taste, is conducted with undoubted vigour and ability. Whatever may be the result of the elections, the Star, as the only paper in which the arguments m favour of Protection are stated, will make t'reat advances in circulation and popularity.