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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 255, 1 December 1914, Page 6

Mr Isitt, calling down the wrath of Heaven on the doomed Conservatives for their selfishness, is very reminiscent of Mr Bob Semple thundering extravagantly against the horrid tyrannies of the traditional "fat man." We may remark this likeness without .suggesting any disrespect to Mr Isitt or any compliment to the deposed leader of the Reds. The former's effort, in the ■Rugby Street Schoolroom last evening must have entailed a severe physical strain on the speaker himself, considering the fierce physical emphasis he attached to his' •' denunciations of his political opponents^"'/who are, according to Mr Isitt, for ever cut off from all hope of Heaven unless they become Liberals after the manner of Sir Joseph Ward and his disciples. These stage gymnastics are more characteristic of men whose preachments are aimed at the heatrs, and not the heads, of their audience. Mir Semple, making vulgar allusions to those in authority, is a contortionist of no niean calibre. He works up to a bellowing anti-climax with an accompaniment' of strange physical twistings. Mr Isitt ; adopted similar methods, not so violent, but not less theatric, last evening. He may haye been carried away by passion for his .'ause; again, he may not. We arc afraid that Mr Isitt has too much platform manner and too little sound - platform matter. He charged the '-'Minister of Finance with juggling with figures to mislead deliberately the public. This does not come we'll from a politician who juggles so openly with the emotions of the susceptible members of his audience. Armed with facts, we may eonfound, the wicked and scheming Minister, but what safeguard remains against the Isltts for those,who, born that way, are bondslaves to their emotions'?