The Press. FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1914. The Opposition.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15016, 10 July 1914, Page 6

The Press. FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1914. The Opposition.

In comparing the Opposition to, the famous "witch broth" composed of " ey© of newt and toe of frog, wing of " bat and tongue of dog," and a good many moro unusual ingredients, Mr G. M. Thomson came very near to tho facts. Tho Opposition are not a party; there is no set of principles upon which they are agreed ; there is no policy standing in their name, and. no possibility of the public believing that any policy that may be announced by any section of them will be either seriously meant or possible of achievement. So far t they havo made no pretence that their case is otherwise than as Mr Thomson described it: they agrc© upon nothing excepting that the Government should bo "ousted," and they all have ( their own reasons—the Red Feds., b©-« : cause so long as Reform is in power-law-abiding citizens are secure against ' syndicalist violence and anarchy; tl;o "Liberals," because tho loss of office meant the loss of those grateful asd comforting cordials which flowed from the channels of patrouago which <»he Government are cutting out of the field of administration. It is diie to the #ed Fed.-Social Democratic Party to i say that, however anxious some of theijr representatives in Parliament may Ije to

make Wardism their first care, they at any rate havo a policy. But the " Liberate" "havo none, and will bo accounted to ba/ve nono oven if Sir J. G. Ward ventures to placo something liko a programme, before tho electors. It is not enough for the Opposition to say that the.v are "the progressives," for a condition antecedent to that cla/m is a demonstration that, tho present Government is not progressive, and tie Liberal and democratic character of tho Government makes that demonstration impossible. If by "pro- " gressiveness" we aro to understand the.qualityand J Jho direction of tho Red Fed. tho Government is certainly not "pro fcressivo" at all; but wo do not understand that Sir J. G. Ward cares openly Id avow that his "pro- " gressiveness" is of that sort. Mr Thomson placed his finger upon tho spot when !ie invited the House to consider what Iho situation would bo if tho Reform P.Jrty were defeated. Who would tako office? What would the Ministry consist of? What would the ncrv Government's policy be? Our Opposition friends would like the public not to consider theso questions: perhaps many of them do not themselves caro to face problems so anxious and unpleasant. .'ls a matter of fact, when tho composition of the anti-Reform groups is eonsyidered, it is obvious that nothing stable, or politically honest can emergo from lihera to govern tho country. Mr P. C,V Webb, with the eye of tho Red Fod. Congress upon him, has so far suppressed his own personal inclination as t«< confess that the first business of '(/ho Social Democrats, in tho ovont •' of tho Reform Government losing office, would bo to attack and turn out any Government that succeeded it. Such is tho character of tho "progressive" alliance t<> restore Sir J. G. Ward to office, and such is tho spirit of unity which our "Liberal" friends tell us runs through ' the auti-Reform forces. It may bo-i-althougb we think otherwise— that tljero are at present room and material for a better, wiser, more patriotic and prudent and democratic Goveimment than Mr Massey's. It may .be that the Massey Government can bo replaced by a better one, but no T >erson in his senses can suppose that suc'£ a Government' can bo furnished by the anti-Reform groups which have no principles and nothing in common bijt a desiro to get oh to the Treasury b caches.