SOCIALISTS AND LIBERALS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2131, 24 April 1914, Page 6

SOCIALISTS AND LIBERALS

The speeches and literature' which spring from Social Dcmoeratie-Rcd Federation quarters arc particularly interesting just now on account of the obvious anxiety of the leaders of tho Socialist organisations to cover up the movement in tho direction of au alliance with the Wardists.' To judge from their official journal, and from the speeches of leaders of tho Red Federation and the Social Democratic party, they arc. heartily ashamed of being .classed as allies of Wa-rdism, and openly, repudiate the idea. Yet from time to tinio they let slip the- fact that they intend to join with the "Liberals.", to assist in endeavouring to overthrow the Maks'Ey Government. In tho current issue of the Maoriland Worker the appeal is once more made to "the workers" to kcep_ their political party free from association with all other political parties. In a leading article dealing with the position, the paper states: ( . . At the Unity Co-nsress, held in Ju-lv last year, the largest Labour.Conference ever held in N«v 'Zealand, some tOO deleg»ites Of bo-nn-fido Labour -orgcLfrisations decided upon the formation of a political patty of Labour . . . by -a-ft overuiielipiw majority the delegates decided that Hie only adequate political expression of the Labour movement 'could b* found in the establishment of a party that frosMjr stood for tho Socialisation of the means of production, distribution, and esistiauge. ... It bec-ame at once the Kunfunfee that tho now party stood Tigidly independent of every other party in the BominnMi. . . . Independence is toperative. No compromise, no political trodfruf, is a fundatuenlwl part of our policy that aims ai A complete change in our present social and economic system. These fins professions of independence are but an echo of what has been said is the past, and is still being said in other parts of the counti'v. At Westport-, for itistaHce, last Sunday* the Social tocra.ocratie candidates who are contesting scats on the local Borough Council gave voice to their contempt f«r the "Lib* oral" party in approved style. Mr. Dowgiuv, who .is not unknown here, caustically remarked that "ho was not going to be, and did not wish Social Democrats to he, fooled even by n Liberal party who sat on the fence the whole lime with a view to using the strike for political purposes."' At the same- meeting, Mft. GiW-fis, president of the- Social Democratic party, itt the course of an attack'on both the Be-forffl and tho "Liberal" parties, said: "The Liberal party had sunk lower and lower in. the state of politics until they had nothing." To self-respect-ing supporters of Wardism it must be extremely galling to have to carry on tho task of wooing these- raaghtongued Socialists who treat "Liberalism" with such scant courtesy. Yet - they have their consolations. From time- to times the gentlemen of the red-tie persuasion throw them _a scrap of efteouragement, as witness the following extract from Mr. Dowgiuy's 'speech:—"The- Social Democrats were to_ run independent of other parties: They might assist the Literals' in ousting Mfc. Masses but were an independent party t with a policy of their own . and claiming representation of their own." There'we have the crumb of ' comfort thrown to the .abject- Liberal emissaries—the Social Democrats . "might" assist the .Liberals to oust ■ Mr. Mass'ey; provided, we assume, that the Liberals behave themselves and undertake to do what they are i told. Tho humility of the new '''Liberalism" tinder the insults and affronts of its Socialist friends s should soften the- hearts of Messrs. - Sempm, Glover, and Co., and bring about that Irawpy union which certain of the loading lights of Wardism are so anxiously striving for.