MR. DAVID SYME AND "THE ACE."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 3

MR. DAVID SYME AND "THE ACE."

Sir, —In your issue of Monday last you republish from " The Lone Hand" a so : called character sketch of- the late David Syme—written; of course, before his death. In tho article in question I notice tho fol-' lowing extraordinary passage:—"On the question of Protection he was, and is, in-' flexible. Protection was never a cry of the time or a temporary expedient with him. Ho had studied it as a scienco. It may indeed Ipe. said that in his work, ' Outlines of an Industrial Science,' ho has formulated it as a' science." I will not attempt to arguo with a "writer who calls protection " a science." There are people who call spirit rapping and'-palm-readingsciences," and, as a matter of fact, Mr. Deakin; the Premier of tho -Commonwealth, onco practised the " science " of 'spook-hunting. 1 do say, however, that Mr. Syme was onco an avowed follower of : Cobdeii, and; thereforo, that the passage quoted. • from " The - Lono Hand ' is . false. Here, for instance, is an extract from an ' article ' written by Mr. Syme 'in the '" Westminster Review " as far back as 1871;—" Richard Cobden, the man who carried the . anti-Corn Law agitation, to-a successful-issue, saw and acknowledged that.his work'.was hot.half done; that 'a sweeping change in our land 'system was reWill anyone follow in his footsteps and finish'the'work so nobly begun ? "

| This paragraph' is strangely at .'variance with the politics'of "The Ago," and it shows how completely Mr.' Syme shifted his ground. It shows also tho reckless inaccuracy of "The Lone Hand" 'writer, who, as usual, allows his eagerness; to saturate ,the public v niind with, protection 'to supersede even the primal requisite of correctness. No one who'knows Mr. Symo's career, and; the evil influence of." Tho. Age " on the public life of Victoria/ can repress a' feeling of surprise at'tho,attempt to picture him as a popular benefactor. Notwithstanding his , early . adhesion to free-trade principles. Mr. Syme supported,, arid was' largely responsible for, the suicidal policy of protection in Victoria which involved .tile barbarous system of border duties,' and which included such impositions as tho-'stock-tax and the coal duty! Notwithstanding his demand in. 187.1-.for "a sweeping j change in'. our land system,'' ho hounded down every Victorian land-refor-mer, and lauded Sir Georgo Turner in tho most, extravagant terms when, as Premier of-Victoria;. lie ingloriously backed down in 1805," and' allowed . .the Legislative Council to cast aside his Land' Tax Bill! There is not a moro squatter-riddled state in the Commonwealth than Victoria, and squattordoin has never had a greater journalistic bulwark .than:",Tho-Age.". : .....

\ j it ''is true' that '.the : paper'.'has; fooled and 'fawned upon the Trades' Hall,, hut it is equally truo that its real object was to further tho cause of protection. When it suited its purpose so to do,. " The Age." slandered Mr. Trbnivith and . his party with a severity 'ariiotmtiilg-'-to savagery. "Tho Age" supported the Shiels Divorce Bill, and, when the Catholic' Bishops opposed it, , did .not hesitate to assail them with tho grossest mis'roproscritation ! and by stirring up the dirty waters of sectarian bigotry, let a few yoars later the same paper appealed to'tho women of Victoria to' oppose tho Labour -party, alleging that they wero bent on tho destruction'■ of the, marriage tio, and of tho .institution-of the- family! Though affect'ing to champion the popular causo, "The •Age l " has ever been an enemy of Home Rule for Ireland, and has, in connection with the question', nover hesitated to sandwich the question , with, sectarianism. ' Again, how did tli.e paper behave when tho [rvino- Government procured the expulsion of : Mr.': Findlay from Parliament' in spito of that ■ gentleman's assurance. that: tlio article comjplairied of. was reprinted in .his paper without his. knowledge ?. How did it behavo in connection with -the strike -of railway servants- in .1903,? Did it .not and untruthful attacks on;tho;men? Did it not, by reason of its coriiicction with tho . Press Agency, poison the well-springs of tho cable'news? Did it riot support the Irvine Government when ..'they introduced a Coerisioh\ Bill worthy of: Ireland- or of Russia ? 'Yet wo are assured by "The Lone Hand" that the man who did these.things developed from Democracy to Liberalism—whatever that phrase'-may mean. ' It toay- bo argued -that Mr. Syriiehad a perfect right to cliange his attitude. on the fiscal question.: That is. true, of course. But the man who professod.to.be a follower of, Cobden, owod v the public an explanation for!his. change of front when ho engaged.in a : truculent protectionist , propaganda. Men who have' felt tho, lash of his libels havo taken tho .'trouble -to resurrect „;his . earlier writings '.in • favour free-trade', .and .they mako curious readingin contrast .-with the "settled policy "of his paper. The writer of tho article in question is evidently enthusiastic "over Mr.. Syme's princely gifts to education. ■ I can only comment by an illustration. An acquaintance .of-mine some time ago, disoussing the utility of monetary gifts to:public purposes, mentioned the fact that the late Mr. Beit.had left an immense sum to found a Chair of History at Oxford. My reply.was: "God help the Oxford Professor of History who will tell the truth about the Jameson Raid-!;" ; I-:. can .only. say in conclusion that if .Ivwaiited; to illustrate tho baneful effects of an unscrupulous press upon the political and public life of, a nation, I would, riot go further-afield than Victtiria, and my' example would be "The Age."—l am,-etc., : v P. J. O'REGAN. Dannevirke, February 19.