The Press. WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1901. WANTED, A LEADER.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11013, 10 July 1901, Page 4

The Press. WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1901. WANTED, A LEADER.

A perusal of the full report of tbe speech made by Captain Russell in resigning the leadership of the Opposition shows that he discharged a difficult and delicate task in admirable fashion. It was perfectly goodhumoured, and tibere was a delicate strain of satire and banter in it directed against, the Government tha/fc was very effective. heedless to say, moreover, it was characterised by the same high tome that has distinguished everything which the late leader of the Opposition- nas said and done throughout his pufoldo life; In speaking of this kind Captain Russell undoubtedly is unsurpassed in the House. It is an enviable gift, no doubt, but experience has ehown that it is not a sufficient endowment to make a man a successful leader, especially in the rough-and-tumble iof New Zealand politics. Something has I been said about the "ingratitude" of the Opposition party to their late leader. We utte-riv fail to see in what the supposed ingratitude consists. The first qualification required of a political leader is that he shall be able to lead. If he proves tq be deficient in this quality he should srtand aside. The late Opposition party stood lovaWf by Captain Russell as their chief, until at- the last general election it -was found that as a. political party they had ceased' to exist. Naturally the necessity for a leader ceased also. At the beginning of last session they decided that it was useless for them to keep np the semblance of an organisation when there was no pilule ~ood to be served by such a course, and that fact was, of course, made quite clear to Captain Raesdl, who was expected to make it plain to tie House. For some reason ox other he failed to do co. Mr Sedtion say* ti»« fact was communicated to him, and he understood it perfectly welL Very naturally, knowing tbafc the maintenance of even tbe simulacrum of an Opposition wonld strengthen nis own position

in the House, he did everything in his J' power to __„ it appear that Captain Bus- I sell was stall leader of the Opposition, and j the great mistake made by Captain Russell J ■was that he allowed himself to fall into i the trap thus set for 'Mm. The speech <. which he made at the beginning of this session he should have made at the begin- ? ning of last session, and then nothing but unstinted praise could have been his due. ; iiut we have no -wish to find further | fault with Captain Russell. He has nowdone gracefully and -well a difficult thing, which would have been done better had be acted less tardily, and that is all there is to be said about it. On the other hand, he has deserved well not only of his party but of the colony by the unselfishness which he has shown throughout his political life, and particularly by the high standard which he has set in debate. We trust that when Imperial honours again come in the direction of this coloay, the Home Government i will remember that the Crown, as the founI tain of honour, should distribute its re- ' wards impartially among those who have done the best service to the State and the Empire, irrespective of the petty local parties to which they may happen to belong. If that rule is observed the claims of Captain Ri___l, as well rs of Mr Rolieston ami Mr Bowen, would not long remain unrecognised. Oar present object, however, is not so nruuh to make any personal reference to Captain Russell, as to deal with the general question of the main attributes necessary to successful leadership. Among these personal power and firmness are undoubtedly reonired. It is quite a mistake to suppose that these qualities are incompatible with "gentlemanliness" of character. On the contrary, firmness and decision are all the more telling when combined with perfect politeness and propriety of language and behaviour. A gentleman naturally dislikes having to iesita+e about taking the word of another person. He may allow himself to bo decc-ived once, "twice, and *>v«- three, times, charitably supposing that

thare has been some mistake. But he must not allow himself to hs systematically

fook'd. That is not "gentlemanliness.' , but weakness, bordering on imbecility. It ra surely not necessary seriously to urge that a man may he- a gentleman and still not allow another to play tricks with him. It is more difficult to be a successful leader of an Opposition than it is to be the. leader of a Gorernniftnt. It is easy to ride on the crest of th» wave whm you have Go-

TOTimwt money and- Government patronage to distribute.. The difficulty which we are experiencing in New Zealand for want of a leader who can effectively rally round him a party to keep the Government in check, and with a reasonable hope of succeeding to power in the future., is being exr>eriencedi just as acutely in Kngland at the present time. A writer in the "Nine-

teenth Century," commenting on the fact, attempts to derive comfort from the thought

that -while Governments are necessaries of national life, Oppositions axe not. In theory that may be so, but there is no doubt that in practice even the best Government requires an, active Opposition to keep it within the bounds of propriety and prudence. The same writer hits off exactly what is required in a successful leader of Opposition when he explains why Sir Stafford Northcote fell short of what was required;. Ho failed, "not only for " want, of that fighting spirit, that, daunfc- " less and' eager lr-ve of combat wliich marks "the man who 'drinks delight of battle "with his peers, , but also for want of that " something else, that spark of genius " which lift* a man above, his fellows, oom- " pels homage, silences criticism, and rescues " failure from contempt." Whea-e shall we find such a man in New Zealand? There is a brilliant opening for a politician possessing the requisite tact and genius, and we have no doubt that in time the right man will come forward.