The Liberal Leader.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLIII, Issue 2287, 4 March 1912, Page 6

The Liberal Leader.

The decision of Sir Joseph Wan] to retire from the leadership of party is to his credit as unselfishly recognising that the enemy's shot having been aimed at him with the applause of the unthinking mistaken multitude, he will not stand in the way of the party's interest. At the same time we should be the last to join in the cry raised iu some of the Liberal quarters that Sir Joseph ought to resign. He has, in the first place done nothing wrong. Secondly, he has demonstrated his fitness for both leadership and office in a marked degree. Is'o better outlook has ever been consistently presented than his on the future of the Liberal party. If there is a man in the Dominion who understands the spirit of Liberalism, and is prepared to foster the same by every means in his power, that man is Sir Joseph Ward. As to business capacity there is not a departmental head who has been in touch with him who is not prepared to declare that no Minister ever did the work of his department so thoroughly or so fast. .No man so accessible to all and sundry has ever held the position of Prime Minister of this Dominion. In Postal matters he is easily first in the world—it is saying much, but it is saying nothing without warrant. In finance he is a tower of strength. Indeed to him is due chiefly the credit for the very strong finance the Liberals have maintained during their brilliant career of what has been derisively termed experimental legislation. To him in truth is due the strength without which the Liberal policy would have gone down long ago. In the Imperial connection no one could have carried on the Seddon tradition—which is the best tradition in colonial annals—so fully and so well—so well indeed as to better it—as Sir Joseph Ward. It seemed at one time as if he had not scored at the last Imperial Conference, but before the Conference ended the full credit of the work done by the foremost statesman there was acknowledged to him by the leadcis of the Conference. Such is the man, in a few words, and such his service who has been Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal party for six years. We cannot understand the consciences of the members of the party who have called for his deposition, capitulating to the loudest and vilest chorus of abuse that this Dominion has ever heard in the whole course of its political history. If, however, Sir Joseph chooses to bend to the unworthy storm that has burst upon him we can only regret his decision and wait with patience for the day not far distant when the fates—in other words the fickle multitude —will recognise his merits and recall him to the leadership. It is characteristic of the man that he aims at being nothing but a private member : asking for no ollicial asylum, no salaried post, no coign of vantage from which he can capture the public eye. As just a private member and nothing more he will be invaluable to the Liberal parly during the sway of his successor, whoever he may be. Labor has already turned towards his party, and it will not be long before the rest of the objectors will follow the example. The whole Dominion will before long understand that a man so valuable and of such magnificent service cannot be turned out of the service of the country because the Conservative clement was abusive, because Labor was ungrateful, and because some Liberals were thoughtless.—Oamaru ' Mail.'