A QUESTION OF TACTICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 253, 18 July 1908, Page 4

A QUESTION OF TACTICS.

.An iamusing incident of yesterday's proceedings in the House of Representatives was the speech of the member for Wairarapa, Me. Hornsby. Tins gentleman, who is not taken quite so seriously by his brother members as he wouid perhaps like, had evidently gone to some pains to prepare a crushing, indictment of this journal. By some strange process oE reasoning he had arrived at the conclusion that it had sprung into existence .with the malevolent object of punishing a contemporary arid incidentally to damage the country, and he probably was very'much surprised when his laboriously prepared nonsense, instead of provoking shouts of anger, produced only laughter. Mr. Hornsby, of course, is not to be taken very seriously, but his speech may bu viewed as illustrating the methods of i. particular type of politician. Some little time ago we directed attention to a piactice which has grown up in our public life of attempting to discredit legitimate criticism by imputing to critics of the Government disloyal'and unpatriotic .motives. This practice has boon very noticcable of late, and more especially in relation to criticism of the financial methods of the Ministry. The Prime Minister, who should know better, has on number of occasions adopted this unfortunate mode of disposing of the criticisms of those who disagree with his views as to wluat is wise and proper in the administration of our financial resources, and in the matter of incurring fresh 'pbligatiops. Accusations pf disloyalty, and of attempts to injure the credit .of the country, and so on, havo been hurled broad-' cast; the only basis for theso wild charges being the very slender warrant derivable from .the circumstance that the critics so assailed have not, on certain questions, been able to see eye to eye with the Ministry of the day. In other words, ono must be ranked as disloyal and attempting to damage the credit of the Dominion if he dares to crifciciso Ministerial maladministration, or expresses disapproval of reckless extravagance with the finances of the country. It is to bq regretted that tactics so clumsy and transparently unconvincing should be resorted to in discussing matters of so much moment to the country.