"WEAK AND VACILLATING."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1286, 15 November 1911, Page 6

"WEAK AND VACILLATING."

It is a little amusing to note thai, the gentleman who after a fortnight's experience of Parliament rushed in so hastily to give the Government a certificate of character is now telling his constituents some, plain home truths about the Administration he has supported. Mil. Isitt's opinions on political matters are worth very little, but it is very evident that he has found that hi'ti eager support of the Oovnrnnic.nl, coming on top of his professions of independence, have not proved palatable to his supporters. This was only to be expected. There arc. many people who still support the Government, and who will always support any party which cnooses to label itself "Liberal," but there are very few people who can arouse, any great enthusiasm for the Ward Allministration, even though they may cast their votes in favour of it. Tlnni, Mit. I.SITT, while generally supporting the Government, tells his constituents that it is "weak and vacillating and composed of opportunists." That it "puts out its foclem like a snail, aiul when il, touched something solid it drew them buck" —and, he might have added, crept hack into its shell preparatory to making a move, in the opposite, direction to that in which it had originally intended to set out. This, of course, is not news to those who follow politics at all closely, and Mit. lsirr's opinion would not he worth noting hut for the interesting sidchght it throws on that gentleman s estimate of public feeling resporting tho Ministry, lie plainly recognises that it is just as well to show a little contempt for the Government lest he should ho regarded as equally undeserving of respect, It may encourage him, perhaps, to learn that his predecessor, tho late Mit. 1. h. Taylor, in his more outspoken moods, said even more severe , tlungs of the Ward Administration. Jn one occasion a year' or two back be expressed the belief that "if the present shifty standards of Liberalism are maintained the whole lot" would go into the melting pot. He also declared that during the past eight or nine years "the country had giadually been led away from* high political ideals." Speaking of ccrtain proposals brought down by the Government in 1909, Mr. Taylor pronounced them to be "tho most dreadful wild-cat proposals ever made in the history of this country •; and on yet another occasion this political idol of Mb. Isitt's said: "The truth is clear that for the last eight or nine years the Radical sentiment of this country has been gradually betrayed." Mr. IITTl ITT t some of the other People who call the Government weak and vacillating and charge it with betraying its trust, and all the rest of it, curiously enough appear to expect the public to ignore these things and to treat the Ward Administration as being worthy of their respect and confidence.