The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, l920. LIBERTY AND LAW.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 228, 23 September 1920, Page 4

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

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1920. LIBERTY AND LAW.

For the cause that lacks For the wrong that need* rtxittance, For the future tt» the distance, And the good that we at* 40.

The Ueeieion of the New York State legislature to expel for the second time the five Socialist members of whose opinions and rccorde it disapproves is certainly not calculated to pour oil upon, the troubled waters of American public and political life. When these men were first elected, exception was taken to them on the gTound that they had proved themselves to be disloyal and unpatriotic during the war,,andi by a majority votd the Assembly decided that they were unworthy to take part in the work of legislation and administration for their fellow citizens. Their expulsion naturally caused a tremendous outcry in the American FVpss, many leading journals that have always opposed Socialism protesting strongly against the action of the State Legislature, on tho ground that it was subversive of democratic rights and liberties. The expelled members then stood for re-election, and were again returned by Urge majorities; and now they have been once more refused admission to the House, though properly accredited representatives of the people. The questions thus raised are of such grave, constitutional and political importance that they deserve a. little serious attention. We are not in a position to say-pre-cisely what offences are alleged against these men, but it should be borne in mind that among certain sections of tho American people the term "Socialist" is accepted as implying or suggesting all that, is dangerous and criminal in human nature. In Wall Street or on Fifth Avenue "Socialism" is apparently regarded ac almost precisely equivalent to Anarchism or Bolshevism, and it is assumed accordingly that it ought to be, put down with a strong hand. Further, we may point out that while we have no sympathy with Pacifism, the fact that these men are anti-militarists doea not prove that they are either unpatriotic or disloyal—though' confusion of mind on thie subject is probably quite ac prevalent in the United States at in Australia or New Zealand. But having eaid thie, the point we wfah particularly to emphasise , is that the action of the New York Legislature in expelling these members cannot be supported or condemned solely by considering- their guilt or innocence. The question at issue is whether a parliamentary body can fairly aaeume the right to choose for itself ■whom it will consent to treat as representatives of the people and whom it will reject; and looking at the question from this standpoint it seems to us difficult to suggest any valid excuse for the action of the New York Stale A M emMy, and hard to find (words to condemn it too strongly.

As we regard it, tue question v fundamentally a simple one. If the representatives of the people under a constitutional system decide that certain acts should disqualify »ny gun from election to the Parliamentary Assembly they have only to pass a law expressing their views, and the election of such men becomes impossible. But the case assumes an entirely different complexion when a Legislative Assembly which has refrained from any statutory enactment of the kind decides to use its ovn» dig. cretion as to the kind of members it will Admit, or arrogates to itself the right to reject any given type of member that it chooses. The question now raised, it will be observed, is not simply a matter of the personal privileges of the men directly concerned, but of the political | liberties of their constituents and of the people as a whole. Such a eoureo ac the New York State Assembly hae taken means in effect the confiscation of the political rights of those who elected them, and at the same time it conveys a direct'menace to the principles on which all democratic institutions are based. No wonder that American public opinion, irrespective of political parties, is up in arms against it. A century and a-half ago the British Parliament tried the same sort of experiment: by refusing to admit John Wilkes after he had been repeatedly elected in strict accordance with the law, and the effect was to bring England to the very verge of revolution. Legielation may be just or unjust, but as a method of procedure it is at least compatible with the principle* of democratic government. But the arbitrary rejection of representatives (July chosen by the people in accordance with the law is an act of tyranny that cannot be justified, j»Bd should not be forgiven.

BETTING ON FOOTBALL When it discussed betting last evening the Football League touched a matter that has been in many mouths latelyThis is a business in wbieh an outsider finds it impossible to obtain proof of rumours and allegations, but it is a fact that these thinge have been flying round pretty freely of late, especially since the visit of the English team. What we have in mind concerns tho League code. Doubtkat there is come betting in other codes. A certain amount of betting attaches itself to the cleanest of sports, and may be so negligible as to be harmless. The betting that is the evil which ought to be suppressed by sports bodies ,—and we are glad to see the League taking action in this direction —is systematic betting that corrodes the sporting instinct and menaces the game itself with the introduction of questionable tactics. Many of our readers will remember the part betting played in killing the very flourishing sport of amateur athletics in Auckland years ago. A man who bets on a match is more likely to insult a referee than a man who rocs there for pure sport. Betting i* the parent of bribery, and the cause of much of the dark side of professionalism. At flaet night's meeting it was stated that [outsiders tried to bribe players to lose gune>, and the chairman said the standard of the game' was being lowered through betting. From what one hears, this is not an overstatement of the case, and it behoves the League to put its house in order. It nlso behoves other sports bodies to be on the look-out for !anv manifestation of the evil.