The Dominion. MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1910. THE LABOUR SUCCESS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 949, 17 October 1910, Page 6

The Dominion. MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1910. THE LABOUR SUCCESS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

The success of the Labour party in New South : Wales at... the State elections) held last week, was only attained after one of the bitterest political struggles in the history of Australia. Spurred on by the triumph of _ their leaders at the Federal elections, the New South Wales Labour party; embarked on the fight with tremendous enthusiasm and yfith a determination, to win at/all hazards. Equally determined; but not equally confident, were their opponents. Ifcwasgenerallyrecogniscd that if the Government were to retain office they would have to rely on the of what is known as the. "silent, vote"—the,; vote of that large section of, the community which takes no: active ..part in election .fights, but which when; it votes ai all solidly- wins so many elections. Judged by the meetings held, Labour; was certain of a victory, but public meetings after all represent only a small part of the community. The Government was also strengthened by the knowledge that the'' aggressiveness and increasing dominance of Labour had converted into active supporters of : Ministry many who were indifferent to or even inclined to" be antagonistic to. it. These people were driven to choose what ! they considered , to be the lesser of two evils—they."disliked the Wade Government, but they feared tho effect of another Labour victory still more. The result of the strong feeling prevailing amongst the leaders of the two parties was an increasing bitterness and hostility between the partisans of each. Personal feeling ran high, charges and countercharges imputing, cowardice' and improprieties were made, supporters of the Labour party being the, worst offenders in this respect. ■ Here, for instance, is an extract from, the report published -in the Daily. Telegraph of a meeting held on the cvenoE last,Friday week:

Through Mr. M'Gowcn (the Labour leader) was interrupted frequently, tlio bulk of his audience expressed their approval when he had finished speaking. Mr. Meagher, who spoke before the arrival of liis chief, was in characteristic form. Nothing, in his estimation, was too condemnatory for Mr. Wade, and his stock of epithets, such as "judical monster," "crossbred cur," "mongrel,'' and the like, seemed to be well appreciated by his auditors.

During-the election struggle one of the charges levelled against the head of the Government was that of cowardice on the occasion of . a colliery disaster; whereupon '. Mk. Wade's friends turned up newspaper records and showed that some years

ago, when an explosion had occurred in a colliery v Mit. Wade, who had been conducting'a case in Court, rushed from the Court to the pit's mouth and formed one of the band of workers who assisted in the work of rescue. No sooner, however, was one allegation disproved than another was brought forward. Me. WadeY determined stand in connection with the great coal strike a 'little-time ago provided openings for a great many charges against him, more 1 or less damaging. Amongst the number was the calumny that ho bad plotted to get' P-eter Bowling, one of the strike leaders, shot. The Sydney Morning Herald, hi an outburst of protest last Saturday week, said:

f.'jjs election lias no parallel in our political annals for lying and slander.. V\ e question whether there ever has been an election in which evil speaking has been more carefully elaborated, in whieh the resources of wicked misrepresentation and personal calumniation - have been more deftly applied in one of the fairest and freest of countries. . . .' Whatever may have been thought of the Labour party in this State during . past years, whatever may have been thought, or may now be thought, of " the Federal Labour party,, there is no doubt whatever vi, which to-day is trying , to dislodge the Wade Government from ofhoe has in its campaigning sounded the lowest depths of political degradation, there are no words in'.the .English language too strong to' the in.famous attempt which the Labour party J 1 / 15 ? at l9 mislead the, minds, to poison the feelings, and to demoralise the judg'EleiUt ™ictors; Rough as our, political hghts -at -times, have, been, and strenuous as_they always are, there has never been a fight like this before,'and for tho sake of this country we hope there never will be again. The culmination of it. all was seen last night, at the Premier's meeting at Newtown, when Labour supporters ■ hooted Mrs. Wade as she passed out with her husband.

It,, has to be borne in mind that the Herald is arrayed on the side of the Wade-Government, but the newspaper reports of the election ■ meetings go to show that there was strong ground for: the protest made against the nature of. the attacks indulged in._ Curiously, enough : one:. of • the points of attack : on the -Labour party. _ was an ..'alleged .alliance , with the-Liquor interest.:. It was sought to •. influence the women's'; vote in favour of the Government on this ground. ' '.The bitterness "■ generated, ; ,by, the election -, struggle will, in view . of; . the very narrow majority secured 'by. tho Labour, jiarty,. make the' task ahead of ~Mii. . M/GoweN' and- his colleagues an extremely .difficult one. Probably, however, ■ neither side will be anxious to. embark.' on another such contest just;yet'ahd ! tbis may; prove'of .value to the. .Labour;. leaders in .'the early. days, of office. ...- ■