"THE DOMINION" AND TORYISM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 637, 14 October 1909, Page 3

"THE DOMINION" AND TORYISM.

Sir,—Tour paper has disappointed me'much. Waen it first appeared I welcomed it, subscribed 'to it, read it eagerly, and did much to recommend it to others. But I enjoy it-no longer. Why not? Chiefly because of.the extremo and fossilised type of Toryism of which it is no* the exponent. ■ I do not love the present Government, i and lmvo always voted . against it, but if the reactionary and undiluted. Conservatism : which you advocate bo the politics of Mr. Massey, whom you oro seeking to make tho political head of this country, it. bccomes • n serious question for mo to'consider whether of the two evils the present Government bo not thj. most preferable. Your opposition to tho latter-has', in the main, pleased mo, but the evidently hostile attitude that you take again6t th 4. present-British Government reveals your inveterate avorsion to the cardinal principles of tho Liberal party. This, antipathy has been repeatedly shown in various ways. Notwithstanding the, fact (for which you arc not responsible) that the ' cables from London (both in what is sent and what is withheld) havo a distinct Tory bias, yet in your loading articles dealing with British politics you generally quote the opinion of such Conservative papers as "Tho Times," '"Tho Daily Mail," or "Tho Daily! Telegraph," whireas : the great Literal jcUrnals such as the "Daily News," "Daily Chronicle,'" nnd - "Westminster Gazette" aro almost entirely ignored. Truly, .in your articl J to-day you do deal ; with the"Westminster Gazette, ■ but in' such a way as must appeal to any true,man as manifestly unfair. Tou give a totally onesided-view of the' correspondence referred- to, ' UEing your .columns merely , for tho

purpose of. exalting Lord HugH Cecil, ana humiliating,- the Gazette. Tcou givo a very Jcngtny.quotation from tho Tory statesman,-mentioned,'which-preseuU:his Arguments in atjlensfc ri''connected forrb, whereas von \raerely* me orid sentences ii om' the '^w^tmjrtfeicr" Ghzette t " ond then you would havje. usibf>iievo that'this great journal "found .itself entirely nonplussed" by tho argu* mfcnts of. ;lf-you .'call this either a ■ fair fc or , educational treatment ofgroat nuesMoris, 1 tlieit l ira .sorry for you,- Instead, of the. "Westminster Gazette" boitig "entirely nonplussed" by : Lord; CVcil'fi- it comjiletely answers w)iat"you tall the "wit niid logic" oftlio Tory lord-by, tho remark.-"The question is, not whether otlipr things : might bo .taxed on tho i same principle, but ? whether this'particular./ tax is lair. This.makes mincenjeat of.Lord Oeil's "logic," 'and. leaves' Him with nothing but -his- "wit,", both of which, are .amusing.. Surely, sir, "*you; ; ;* know; thV-whole argu.ment of Lord' Cecil is'fallacious, and 'out of harmony with .many.of our leading economistsof parity bias-*who hold that, land v is different'.from "'other "property,"nnd/is- a legitimate "sburce . of' national revenue. 1 How- • eveivl don'ttfisVto discuss Ihi'fu'question. :I»-. have merely 'written to exprbfes- my regret that i> your Opljositioirto Sir 'J.' G. '^Yard's' Govern•merit is prompted' chiefly by.yetir instinctive, 'aversion tb dny Libornl Goveruinent being, in power.—l am,/etc.,' ' • ' .. >•'' ' \ •' ■ \ ( '■ ./ ' LIBERAL. t '> [So '.much., that- is unwise- and so."much ; th*t .-•> is unjust is done iri"*New,'Zealand that /we, are not inclined.-to take exception' ofrin to our.-'correspondent chooses, to employ' regarding ' us. : "Liberalism" 'in !Zealand stands' foi; \ anything but ;.fi^cdv' ; pri ncifcles/ •; Although r-we • qi'iti»:.Tecognise 4 ,t)\at in the. ranks of tho."Lib» eral" • party ; outside "of; Parliament are .to . bo folind'many earnest, nien prepared to stand or • 'fair by "their politicaltonyittipns/>But« .-otir-. is very much-mistaken, as to our attitude towards' tbb: British :Goyernmtint.' On ' the few occasions fin which': weliavc;referred v ' to their afctions'we have-nbt; treated'them from a 1 party standpoint at all, and it'has happened ; v' that.os frequently* as'not : we lmvo found our-. : selves in accord with them. Moreover, no-Eng- ' ' : lisK'paper has been'more frequently quoted, in ' ouv columns thau w tlie "Manchester which ho will-probably .eonccde is : Liberal enough..'Concerning the particular controversy referred to, .wo would suggest-that "Liberal. • should tako ; tlie advice tendered in our -article..; and - peruse. the- issnes of the "Westminster, ; Gazette" between tho dates mentioned. t AVe do not imagine'-thdt; this- course of; reading will i: ; causo him to change,his. views, but.it may convince him. that the "Gazette" has not bfcen ' done injustice by otu 1 presentation of its. case. > Wc shall be glai .to place bur office? file of the "Gazette" at. nis disposal should ho find itcon-v; . venient to call.]