The Dominion. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1908. A MODERN VISION OF MIRZAH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 132, 27 February 1908, Page 6

The Dominion. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1908. A MODERN VISION OF MIRZAH.

" Is'., the olden , days, when Sir George Grey used to sit at the same dining table with us,-: he. told ; me that :when he framed'the constitution of this country he retired away into the forest primeval at the base of • the lluahine range,.-and there thought out what he con sideredbest in the. interests, of New. Zealand: Comparing small things with great, I may say that I retired to the quietness of my own home, and there,' wandering on .the wooded'hills behind Allan- Grange, I thought out as best •I could . the intricacies of the present political 'situation." ■ In these grave' words. Mr. T. Mackenzie prepared his audience at Waikouaiti last night for his.' explanation of his somersault (into the Government 'camp. We-can, only,;say ; \that, the noble scenery of New Zealand must have unaccountably -lost its inspirational powers since the days of the great Proconsul ; Mr.. Mackenzie. was eloquent, but lies ; ■was not • convincing. The synchronising of the disappearance of the Waikouaiti electorate with, the opening of Mr. Mackenzie's eyes to the longhidden, virtues: of the Government will recur again and again with - sardonic suggestiveness to everyone who reads the convert's speech; \ When, for example; after ' a courageous Statement of his determination to stand by his past utterances; he adds the cautious proviso: '.'Subject,; of course, to such modifications as time and experience have shown to be wise," it is impossible; not to feel that what '' time and experience ." have dictated-to Mr. Mackenzie is the wisdom of joining the biggest mob before trouble/commences. As Mr. Mackenzie says, "the humour of the situation is irresistible." Behind Allan Grange, he '■ thought out the intricacies' of the; present political situation,", and he had no difficulty in perceiving that the situation Amounted to_ this 1 : that, being, bereft of. a constituency,! and being popular, in Clutha, his plain duty was to stand in-Clutha. Clutha, however, has a strong Opposition representative, and, as the Government would put forward 'a candidate, there , would be small chance for even a popular ," Independent." Happy thought—why not be the "Government candidate? ;

That his decision was arrived at without the assistance of any outside counsel we. are ready to concede. Outside counsel was superfluous in such a case. _ Yet Mr. Mackenzie, while claim-ing-in the earlier part of his speech that he gave, himself in 1905 the widest latitude to support any administration lie chose, could not help feeling that some explanation was necessary. Accordingly he asks us to believe that, like Mirzah on the slopes behind Bagdad, he had a vision. On one hand-he saw'.the Opposition, "a band of splendid men," and on the other hand a party of Socialists eager to 'secure a body of legislation that would result in national disaster. The scales fell from his eyes. The only course open to him was to ■ proclaim himself a supporter of the,administration which is. only the continuation of the administration that, in 1905, was unworthy of his confidence. To cover his abandonment of his old attitude, he_ urges others to join him with the object of creating a coalition party ,to dofy the " revolutionary Socialists.'.' As there are 110 other Independent or Opposition members in Mr. Mackenzie's sad case, he will probably be alone in his belief that the only legitimate " party line'!, is the line cutting off the "revolutionary Socialists" from everyone else. "A national rather than a party policy," no doubt appeals stroxuaiv to a politician to whom.

" party " must be a most embarrassing word, and who would be glad to escape its unpleasant memories. But most people ,will agree that the main party line is the line between moderate Liberalism and the progressive Socialism that abandoned " Sound Liberal principles" long ago. Not all Mr. Mackenzie's eloquence will convince the public that the spectre of revolutionary Socialism that he discovered so opportunely on the mountains is a sufficient defence of his attitude. Who will believe that it was that alone which terrified an old political campaigner into changing those curious "convictions" of his at such a wellcalculated moment? !