OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2976, 11 August 1891, Page 4

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

[rnoM on; own niKiu:sroNDi:.vr.l Svdsky, July 2S. Owim. to the leniency of tho Executive, the disputu between the Shearers' Unio i find the I'astoralifiu' Union bids fair to (U'vulope into something like a civil w.ii. At Bourkc, the unionists forcibly withstood a number of free labourers who woro going to work. Emboldened by the impunity which followed this display of violence, they are now carrying these tactics to a much greater extent. Large bands of mounted unionists are scouring the country, bringing out the free labourers by force from the stations which have commenced shearing, and keeping them prisoners in their own camps. This is much the same line of conduct ns wa» followed in Quocnsland. The Government procedure in the two cases, however, has been very different. The Queensland Government earned the tlnnke of all civilised communities, and t!io execration of nil lawless agitators and incondhries by the vigour and promptitude with which they suppressed these attacks on the liberty of the subject. In this colony, so far, the measures which have been taken have been of the most leoblo and ineffective character. Little or nothing has been done to protect non-union stations and non union workmen from these violent invasions, and still less to punish those who have been guilty of them, On the tho other hand, a great deal has been done that will have the effect of encouraging the perpetration and stimulating them to greater excesses. The Premier hue renewed his request to the puatoralieta that they should meet in conference- tho men who, by the force of numbers and brute terrorism, are thus interfering with them in the conduct of their business. Whilst it has thus given ,% strong impression of sympathy with one side; on the other, ho has been nearly dumb. For the men who have been dragged away from their work, kept in durance vile, ducked, execrated, mullreatcd, howled at as " sunbs," " blacklogs " and whatnot, no one would gather that ho had any sympathy worth the name. These men are simply standing on their rights as free citizens of a free country. But these are words which have apparently lost their meaning. UnI'jsathe Executive promptly vindicates the ugliU and liberties which have boon cutiueted to it, all the dwellers in the back country will bo at the mercy ot the most unscrupulous terrorism. Wβ are uow beginning to havo an opportunity of seeing what Mr Cotton's doctrine would como to, if carried out to its logical conclusion. Unless the iiquatters concede to tho demands of the union delegates, the paper of which he i> the editor declared that no police protec liou should bo afforded them. This is precisely what is happening now. How lung it will bo allowed to continue, J cannot say. But the longer it is allowed to continue, the more momentum it will gather, the greater will be the boldness of the offenders, and the greater the ditli culty and oxponse of compelling them to dusist. As regards tho Union leaders, theii excuse for these excesses is that they don't think any one ought to be non Unionists. Unionism, they say, is a religion, or at least it is as binding on its votaries as a religion. But, even allowing for the sake of argument that thin startling contention ia tenable, what kind of a religion is that which seeks to make couvorts by force and intimidation ? Two or three centuries ago there was an oven stronger opinion in the minds of people who had the power to carry it uul. that everybody ought to be Roman Catholics. Consequently they overran the low countries with a powerful army, and left- behind them a monument of cruel ami murderous intolerance and slaughter,which ought to serve as a warning beacon to all future generations. The intolerance which burns a man because he persists in believing as he thinks right h not far removed from the intolerance which refuses to allow him to live. It is at any rate just as ineffective. The Netherlands, notwithstanding sack of their cities and the decimation of their population, are to-day Protestants, not Catholic?. Every man who is coerced or abused iu tho name of Unionism becomes at heart a more inveterate opponent, "We don't think there ought to be any non-Unionists" is a declaration of war against that liberty which, to free-born men, .should be dearer than life. The more violent its efforts to inscribe its urectl on the minds of unwilling: recusants, tho more certainly it is providing for its own overthrow. The Labour members in Parliament are giving a more creditable record of themselves than the Labour leaders in the West. They steadfastly resisted all temptations to declare " agiu the Government,', aud voted in a body against Mr Dibbi'a' motion of censure. There were a few deserters, but not more than Hullicieul to provide a healthy protest against a too rigid despotism. It maybe hoped that some practical steps towards Legislative reform will now be taken. Unfortunately, the Government, just alter it has tided over the attack from without, has been discovered to be in danger of disruption from wiHiiu. The Labour members have succeeded in reconciling Iheinsolvcs to Mr Maciiiilhin and Mr DriKT Smith, but il. is doubtful whether Jirucu Smith aud Maeniillan can hi ing themselves to acquiesce in a course Mint will commend itself to the Labour niomberii. Mr Macniillan has answered the question by resigning ou the ploa of in. ;f nt business engagements. It is now ..uil'-mI that Mr Bruce Smith will become Treasurer, whilst for the vacaut portfolio of Works Mr E, Barton is spoken of. Mr O'Connor retains the Postmaster-General-ship, but moves into the Upper House. All these changes come glibly enough from the tongup or pen, but for all that they look perilously liko "swopping horses whilst crossing the stream." However, they may prove workable in practice, though open to a good deal of hostile criticism in theory. Sir Henry Parkes addressed his constituents at North Shore last night, but told them very little that was new. So loug as the Labour members support him. h« said, he would have a majority equal relatively to that by which the Government of the British Empire is carried on. This, of course, is quite true; but it is also true that as long as the shearers' strike is raging, the position of the Labour party is one of unstable equilibrium. It may be necessary in order to quell the outbreak of lawless terrorism to do at Lonth or Wilcannia what was done a few months ago at Circular Quay and Newcastle. Will the loyalty of the Labour members and their desire for the initiation of constitutional reforms be proof against such a rude shock to their class prejudices ? and if they are proof, will their hydra-headed constituencies be proof also? I sincerely hope they will ; but with the strongest wish to believe, I may be pardoned for expressing some doubt aa to the result. The best hope for the Government is that the shearing difliculty m.w be speedily arranged. Present prospwets look much more hopeful as reyardu this consummation than they havo done for a long time ; but where blind hatred aud hot-headed passion exercise so potent a eway, it may well be feared that the end will not come without some formidable convulsion. The Bernhardt controversy still rages in the prcs.t. Whatever other result it ctFenti, there can he no doubt that it helps to kpcp the accomplished lady bi-i-iro tho. public, and thus to bring cash to her till. A well-knO'.vn artist hrn rnme to the rw:ue of the star. He maintains that all that, a critic need he concerned about ii Mi.; quality of tho art. and eonucqueutly tho nature of the subject of the p-t or thf on.'. to which the art is directed is a mat' ••: r puro indifference. T cannot say this • onirig is satisfactory. It s m« to .■■•"'' a blank hintni just where light ami • i.dinß anwnoit imperatively riPfldrri. It '' tho spirit which animates thn art; which givea it character. J* n good cr-.uk centered by the habitual .study

and of rin.i 1 i>l ami revolting subject.-? An- not tin: p is.-ionst uliicii .in; exoi'cd l.y these pn vi ntitions in many eves the reverse of good '! Is there any cui-ui of true art which requires that its votaries shnll become, as it were, hoadlem — deprive tlii-mselvec, mi to speak, of thn faculty of moral .pigment, which is the crowning ijlory of lui inanity.

As a matter of art the rattlpsiinki! is as perfect as the harmless asp whieli Madame fccruhardt is said to handle in " Cleopatra." It is larger and more powerful. Its nrpans nr<! exquisitely linislinl and its adapt itinn to its own mode of life roinpleto. But if we were to conclude that because of its artistic perfection the one might be made a playmate with as mucli impunity as the othrr, the error would be simply fatal. Ail for art's sake is only true when the art is good to begin with, and it is open to question whether pood art will habitually choose subjects which to the instructed moral sense, are foul and revolting. The Australian Mutual Provident Society, an institution of which most Australians an; justly proud is torn by internal disunions. A strong parly, backed up and perhaps incited by the chiefs of the ollicial Mail, desire to extend the operations of the society to Great Britain. The Colonial Mutual have already taken a similar step and the Mutual Provident desire to emulate them. The views which are taken of the success of the Colonial Mutual in the newfield are very conflicting, and even if it could be shown to be as satisfactory as the most sanguine declare, it by no means necessarily follows that it would be wise to imitate the movement. There is a certain quautity of Australian business to bo got in Great Britain withoat much expense, because Australians naturally give the preference to Australian otlices. But what is enough for one company may not be enough for two. As for entering into competition with British ollices for the ordiuary run of British business, it is an idea that will not hold water. Returns show that the expenses of obtaining this business are very much heavier than those which the Mutual Provident now incurs, and would, consequently be likely to impose a tax upon the surplus available for distribution among the members). The stronger ground of objection, however, is that the project is foreign to the end for which the members originally associate themselves, and it would be unjust to compel them to become parties to it.