The Dominion WEDNESDAY,. OCTOBER 23, 1907. THE SHORT-LIGHTED SOCIALIST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 24, 23 October 1907, Page 6

The Dominion WEDNESDAY,. OCTOBER 23, 1907. THE SHORT-LIGHTED SOCIALIST.

9 The anti-Socialist:speech of the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, a summary of which appeared in our cable news of yesterdayi has a significance that should not be missed in this country. . Like everyone else in England who is not :an extreme Socialist; Mr. Asquith has become convinced that the most important duty of, British stateinanship is the defence of Society against invasion of the forces of Socialism, and he claims that that duty rests. particularly upon the Liberal party. Nothing could better illustrate the distance to which Liberalism in this country has drifted from its old moorings.'ln essentials British Liberalism is identical with the original faith of the Liberal party in this country, but, expediency has wrought such changes in New Zealand Liberalism that the Government openly claims as a virtue its fostering aud enforcement of principles which far-seeing British Liberal statesmen are arming to repel. In; April last the Attorney-General, who was then even less aware than ho is now. of the political value of reticence and cautious speech, proclaimed to all who cared to listen the Socialistic ■■■'character of the Government's policy. As a journalistic supporter puts it, he was even " somewhat ostentations " in appropriating for the Government the designation of 'Socialist,' " and, if we remember aright, he was proud enough of his confession to have his speech circulated as a pamphlet. '. And now, while Mr. Asquith,

certainly no mean exponent of political principles, is issuing warnings against the predominance of Socialistic ideas, the injudicious friends of our Government are spurring on their champions by declaring, with pride, that the Government has never taken the trouble to deny its Socialism. No doubt these people honestly believe that the Government, can go further and further along the path of State Socialism without ever reaching the chaos which they appear dimly to descry on the horizon, and which they vaguely call "-rampant revolutionary Socialism." When Mr. Massey says that the Government is a Socialistic Government, it is considered an effective reply to ask whether Mr. Massey objects to the State encouragement ...of the producing industries. Because the, primary producer has enormously developed the country's resources as a" result of State encouragement, we are asked to cease our objections to State Socialism. For the benefit of those who scorn the, notion that the Ward Ministry cannot play with a leviathan as with a bird, or administer Socialism in doses, or withhold it at will; it may be pointed.out that the State encouragement of the farmer is not Socialism at,all, nor even State Socialism. There is a vast difference , between a system of bounties and the State ownership of the means of production. The Land Bill is a long step towards land nationalisation, the land nationalisation which, with the expropriation of capital and. the collective ownership of,wealth, makes up the platform , of the "rampant i evolutionary," of whom the' "safe . Socialist" is the embryo. The very fact that the" State Socialists" ;\re beginning to hint 'at. the imminence of " fanatical Labour Socialism," illustrates, the danger of playing with fire. The natural, explanation of the imminence of that danger is.that it is the, logical outcome of the State Socialism which the Attorney-General and his journalistic friends proudly admit as' their policy.' Socialism is coming, not in spite ■; of the sops which , the Government has thrown to the, B.adica.ls,'but. because: of the appetite and boldness which those sops have created. 'In England the Liberal statesman holds fast to principles against all :temptationsl In ■New..Zealand,'.the ;Liberal politician has thrown the principles of Liberalism aside, and has built up a policy on a purely empirical basis. It is no wonder .that he is beginning to fear that the brake will, not act. As he rushes down the hill at an ever-in-creasing pace, he. sometimes realises that 'the rocks at the bottom are growing nearer. But instead of concluding that he is going towards the rocks, he illogically supposes: that the approach of-the catastrophe .is not due to his movement, but'to the upward and independent motion of the danger spot.itself.;!:' .. : ' '-'. ?y..