The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1096.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 272, 16 November 1896, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1096.

For the oau3- -Suit lacks as3ist____.es, For the -srrons that needs resistance, For the future in tho distance, And the good that wo can 00.

From bhe hosts of Parliamentary candidates who are now preaching, praying, praising and condemning, congratulating and warning, in different parts of the country, the somewhat distracted elector hardly derives that wisdom which, wo are told, resides in a multitude of councillors. When so many teachers are abroad as at present, one naturally looks for an increase of knowledge among us. Now, if any time, should be a season of growth so far as our political education is concerned, and we should emerge from the electoral campaign with our ideas in regard to general principles, and our knowledge of the details of administration which immediately affect ourselves, very much clearer and fuller than they wero batore. Unfortunately, however, the chances of our doing so are not very great. In many cases the men who assume to teach are asignorant as those who listen to them—ignorant politically we mean ; and in many cases where they have a little lighb to throw on a question they wilfully wibhbold it, and deliberately misrepresent and deceive. So ib comes bo pass thab each succeeding general election, instead of finding the electorates richer in the knowledge which experience should bring, reveals very much the same-old deficiency in judgment and liability to be misled. The electors require to be warned periodically against the same old dangers, and to be taughb anew bhe lessons they are so prone to forget.

One of the mosb importanb of tbe qualities which the elector is called on to exercise at this time in making choice of a candidate is the powor to distinguish bebween the merely theoretical and the practical politician. Ib is not always a simple business to draw the distinction even in the case of men who have already served in Parliament, but it is infinitely harder where tbe candidate is a newcomer fresh from the ranks of lay politicians. That the people of New Zealand are not likely bo be imposed upon for a long time, however, by mere theorists who have no true baleHb for practical politics is shown in the case of Sit Robert Stout. Notwithstanding his experience, his political knowledge, and his undoubted abilities, Sir Robert has signally failed in tho last Parliament to convince either the country or the members thab he is—what he would like to be considered—a heavenborn politician. In Parliament, despite his acknowledged grasp of political history and the questions of the day, he was always looked on as- one who had disappointed his friends. He nevor succeeded in forming even the nucleus of a party, for be never inspired bhab confidence which men must feel in a leader. Members . peedily came to understand that the fluent lawyer was nob really a politician, and thab, however beautifully he mighb speak on general principles, hewasnotfitred to apply bhem as a politician should be. Lecky's remark that nothing can be more fatal in politics than a preponderance of the philosophical spirit is well illustrated in Sir Robert's career. Whab the'Hou^o before the end of the late Parliament had come bo recognise as a matter of course, tbe country sees more clearly than it ever did before, and this is nowhere bebber shown than in Wellington, which , Sir Robert represented in tho lasb Pariiamenb. There is no use denying bhab his influence in the Empire City has waned very considerably of late, for tho fact baa bean abundantly patent at all hia meetings. Nor has the retirement of Messrs Bell and Duthie, the other two Wellington members in tho lasb Parliament, increased his following as might have been oxpected, since be perpetuates their anti-Government policy.

I The electors have to guard against the election of theoretical politicians. Though bhero are not any in the field so far aa we iiro aware with Sir Robert's abilities, still there are nob a few in tho electoral field who display a glibness when talking on tho questions of the day that reminds us of Sir Robert's dangerous facility. Unfortunately they are too often the very men who aro leasb tinted for the position to which they aspire. Crammed with no end of ideas of all colours and kinds, they can talk unfettered by any of those considerations which hamper the experienced politician. If they have never had any experience of political life whatever the more fluently are they able to discourse, the more alluring the views they are able to lay beforo the people. Tho confidence and audacity of these gentiemon whose political studios have been entirely academic surpasses thab of tho most tried statesmen. They havo tho secret of successful administration in a nutshell, «nd on each and every question have a flood of their own light to throw. Heaven defend os from many of -hose glib orators in oor council?.

If we want,bo be the unhappy victims of over-legislation let its elect these men. If we want to have our Parliament more wordy than ib is and a batching ground for legislative fads there is no surer way to train our end than to send up the untried men who profess a full knowledge of all the differenb theories in creation, and wanb to try some of them. Unfortunately, there is not a little danger of our doing so, for these are often the men who commend themselves most to the popular mind, while the practical politician is overlooked. People are so slow to understand thab talk and action in politics as in other things are not interchangeable terms, and bhat the man who on a platform might make tho mo., interesting speech is not always tho man who will help to legislate most wisely for the country.