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Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2985, 1 September 1891, Page 2

TnE foundation has been laid in Victoria of a National Association, with the idea of counteracting as far as possible tho machinations of the leaders of tho labour and socialistic parties. The following is the programme as printed in tho Australian papers : — •' (1) To preserve the national character of the legislature, the association affirming that representatives should not be delegates of any section of society. (2.) To oppose all unconstitutional political procedure and thereby assist in maintaing law and order, and more particularly to secure the effective protection of overy person in the community to dispose of his labour and capital with perfect freedom within the law. (3.) To prevent undue interferences with great producing industries of the colony, to nncourage co-operation and good feeling amongst all classes, to further to the utmost the development of the agricultural, pastoral, mining, and manufacturing interests and to rigorously oppose all class legislation injurious thereto. (4.) To promote in all ways peace, security, and general confidence, in order that the public credit may bo sustained, and the investment of capital encouraged that a maximum of employment may be provided and that all interests may shaie in a common prosperity. (5.) To uphold a just balance of electoral representation, giving properweight to the claims of country districts, upon tho progress of which national life greatly depends. (6.) To socure the due registration of Parliamentary electors and the regular and systematic revision of the electoral rolls." Tho first proposition must of course be accepted as right and logical, but so long as the one-man one-vote system continues and majorities, no matter how small, secure the return of members there can only be class legislation and the only classes represented be that to which the imyecunious and wageearner belong. It appears to us that the first task the Association should undertake should bo to secure that minorities shall have some little say by means of the "Hare" or some similar system. In the meantime they should devote their energies to convincing the labouring man by argument and facts that ruin to himself _ and country must inevitably follow if he persists in tho course being pursued hy the majority in our Parliament, lie must learn to look upon capital in its proper light—as the friend and coadjutor of labour, and turn a deaf ear to those who have and are teaching him, only too successfully, that a capitalist is a bird to be plucked by every matt who wants a feather. He must answer his false friends with the remark —"Yes, that may be all right but the bird will most certainly fly away to another country, and I shall no longer have a chance of getting a share of the feathers which nature ordained that he shall shed annually." The working man will learn the lesson in time, but it is manifestly the duty of every thinking citizen to shorten the period, and a society such as that started iu Victoria should make this their peculiar duty. The second clause in the programme is particularly applicable to our case. Exceptional taxation of a elass with the avowed object of dispossessing those who compose it of that which they have legally acquired is our presont pro. "raaime, If this is not unconstitutional procedure, wo fail in the ability to define tho meaning. Every sane man who is not blinded by the selfishness which is the chief character of Unionists must admit, on both the grounds of expediency and practice, that evory man should be seenrod in the right to do as he ploases with his own capital or labour so long as his actions are not inimical to the body politic, "VVo have no intention of commenting 03 the manifesto clause by clause. It is, in .our opinion, much too wordy, but we commend the whole document to tho careful consideration of tho public, with the object mainly of bringing about

:i somewhat similar institution in tliis rtilonj'. The advocates of unconstitational measures in tho promotion of thoir own sellislmoss aro already conibinnil, fiiov have their Trades' Unions, Liberal and Radical associations. Thoir drums only aro hoard aud thoso ignorant of tho first principles of political music think them most sweet sounding instruments. That they occasionally produce a musical note is undeniable), but they aro so few and far between that the educated political ear has beon scared from tho scene. Tho owners of these latter have shirked their duty, their own interests and that of their country demand of them that they shall awaken from their lethargy. The untunoful instruments are already within the citadel and will remain there till bitter experience combined with policical education lead to tho drummers being driven from the stage by tho enraged victims of bad music. We suggest as a means to this end, the formation in this colony of an association somewhat on the lines of that in "Victoria. It must be composed of earnest intelligent men who either by their ability or money can aid in rescuing the country at as early a date as possible from the slough into which it has drifted. The practical lesson the working classes will learn, will do so in time, but that time must be hastened if possible.