WHAT IS SEDDONISM?

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12364, 1 December 1905, Page 9

WHAT IS SEDDONISM?

(By "Candidus," in tho "Otago Daily Timee.") Wo have hod strong men in tho past, but I have never heard of Stoutisan or Ballanoeism or Atkinsonism or Greyism"; buff rem one end of tho oolony to tho other we are met with tho 'term Seddonism. What does it mean? For my part I should define it os a phase of politioal conduct that is repugnant to those standards and ideals by which we fashion our private life, and which, though temporarily successful, in its effects must lead to disgrace and disaster. .What has it done for New Zealand? The answer is tliat it has distinctly lowered the tone of tho parliamentary life. Wo now permit and B&notion conduct that a few years back we should have reprobated from Auckland to the Bluff. What are the more obvious effects of Seddonism ? Politioal falsehood and misrepresentation, coupled with a callous disregard by a large body of the electors of the dishonour these ignoble tactics involve. What proofs are there of the accuracy of these "charge-.? They are writ large in every session of Parliament, in every politioal campaign, and nearly every important act of administration. Can instances bo named? Certainly. Tbe absolute indifference of the people to Ministerial expenses is one. Many yeans ngo Sir Robert Stout was defeated for Dunedin East for «llyi».«; himself with Sir Julius Vogel, spending 6ome £300 in twelve months for personal expenses and taking a title. To-day the Premier uses special trains and special steamers and carriages and pairs, and the beet hotels, and travels with secretaries and suite, and has tho hardihood to claim travelling allowances when away at the colony's expenso on the colony's steamer on a holiday (an act for which an ordinary commercial traveller would be sacked), and so dead and deaf and indifferent aro we to this petty and scandalous 'business that the workers only answer is, "Good old Diokl I'd do it myself!" The simplicity of democracy is gone, the setting on example is gone, and in their pJaoe we have a vulgar flaunting and ostentatious familiarity that are alike bad in taste and vicious in effect-.