SOCIETY AND LAWLESSNESS,

Dominion, 24 February 1913, Page 4

SOCIETY AND LAWLESSNESS,

One of to-day'a messages concerning the latest series of Suffragette outrages quotes' a curious little utterance by the Postmaster-General, Mr. Herbert Samuel. He is reported as having said that "if Parliament sanctioned women's suffrage it would be putting a premium on disturbances and inviting crime. There was a growing opinion," he added, "that it would be wrong to legislate in that direction at present, lest it would encourage men hereafter to resort to similar violence." This is true nolitieal wjfdoni, but it is very astonishing to hear it from a membor of tho present British Gnvnrnmont.

The Government's refusal to protect the freOi workers during the dock strike set a premium upon Labour violence.' Its revision of the case of the engine-driver Knox, and its treatment of his case as the occasion for adopting an unheard-of policy, was a direct encouragement to strikers to believe that by striking they can cause the suspension of ordinary government. It must also be said that the Home llule Bill itself is the Government's surrender to the violence and lawlessness which unhappily wore the weapons with which the Nationalists decided to fight their battle. Perhaps Mr. Samuel intended to suggest that the argument he advanced against the introduction of a Women's Suffrage Bill applied just as strongly against the exclusion of Ulster from the Home Rule^ Bill. But the cases aro alike on no point. Ulster has committed, and will commit, no violence against the Bill. The women suffragists have been guilty of outrages quite as atrocious.as the Nationalist outrages in Ireland. Then, tho Irish and British Unionist leaders have pledged themselves to support Homo Rule if it is hut approved by the nation on a clear submission of the question to the vote of the United Kingdom. The women have announced a thousand times that they will respect no popular verdict that goes against them. But the principle, embodied in Mn. Sajiuel's speech is perfectly sound and wise. To surrender to unlawful violence is, as we in New Zealand kndw, to court further violence and to drift helpless on the sea of raisgovernment and anarchy! . Much injury was done to our national society by Sik Joseph Ward's famous declaration at KaitaUgata that he would suspend the law and,close the gaols against strikers, who might bring imprisonment upon themselves. And wo think most people aro of opinion that, nothing the present Government has done, or can do, will be more creditable to it, or more useful to tho nation, than its determination not'to surrender to the lawlessness of the misguided people who established a reign of terror in Waihi.' Society is based on law; and has no higher interest than to refuse to treat with positivo lawlessness, ,