WARDISM OR REFORM?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1311, 14 December 1911, Page 4

WARDISM OR REFORM?

Those citizens who realise that the casting of their votes to-day involves the performance of a high national duty can have no hesitation in determining to assist the cause of Reform. It fortunately happens that in the three City and the Suburbs seats the candidates who are fighting for bettor government for their country are men of ability and integrity. With one exception they have all rendered material public service in various capacities, and in the case of the gentleman who is just entering on his public career, Mr. W. H D. Bell, it is safe to anticipate from him distinguished service. Messrs Fisher, JS'ewjiax, and Wright haw each an admirable record to point to, and there cannot be the least doubt that. Parliament would be the poorer for their absence from it. But while these candidates have so much to recommend them individually, it is on still higher grounds than their personal qualifications that we would urge the electors to cast their votes in their favour today. They stand for Reform. That •should be their chief recommendation to the people of Wellington and Suburbs, who have seen so much of the ways of Wardism. We have no doubt that each of the candidates has at one time or another run courttor to the personal views of individuals on one issue or another, and we have no doubt that there nresomn who dislike cither one or another of the candidates on personal grounds. JSut the present is no time for small differences of opinion. There is one large issue before the country—that is whether or not Wardism, with all its evils: its corrupting influence on public morals; its sapping of the national fibre by encouraging sycophancy and dependence on Ministers ; its use of public office for the furtherance of personal ambitions I and.the penalising of its enemies—! the issue is whether or not this evil influence is to be swept out of our public life. For twenty years the same little circle of men have controlled the huge interests of the nation, and each added year of officehas,increased the autocratic bearing of the Ministry towards their masters—the people. Each year has soen some further effort to block the people from obtaining the information they are entitled to concerning the position of their own affairs. Secrecy and mystery and scandals have been the outstanding features of the past three years of oflice of tho Ward Administration. No one outside, the little circle, has boon abb to-get at tho full truth regarding the country's affairs; and to-day for the first time in twenty years tho opportunity is at hand, All other considerations should be set aside today in order to seize this opportunity, which if not grasped may not recur for years. No elector can votn to-day for Jin. Fletcher without knowing that he is shutting the door on tha chance to learn the whole truth regarding tho administration of the country's affairs. No elector can vote to-day for Mr. Fletcher without knowing that he is voting to keen in office an Administration which stands for all that is worst in our political life. In the case of the other candidates, those electors who wish to'see the end of Wardism can only attain their wish by voting fov the Reform candidates, there should be no doubt about this. The Labour candidates in Wellington arc playing jor the Government vote, and they may in the end play the Government false; but they cannot be trusted to vote against Wardism. It is not necessary to say more on the subject. The issue is a simple one: for Wardism or against Wardism. Can any honest elector, having his own and the country's interest at heart, hesitate for one moment in deciding to cast his vote for Reform?