TRUE AND FALSE LIBERALS.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 121, 26 May 1881, Page 3

TRUE AND FALSE LIBERALS.

TO THE EDITOB OF THB EVENING POST. Sir— Now that both the political parties in the State aro laying claim to the name oi " Liberal," it will be quite aa well to properlj define what the term means, and wbai measures a true Liberal is expected to advocate for the benefit of all classes, instead oi only one— the capitalist, or wealthy class, Tried by this standard, many of those claiming to be Liberals will be found most illiberal, as their recent utterances testify; and it is evident that thoir aim is for place and power under a false name. Now, what we want to make us a nation in the future, and a prosperous community now, ia equal laws — faws which shall give every man the same rights ; laws so framed that the rich man shall not be able to take advantage of his wealth to the detriment of the remainder of the eommuiiity. Now, those who advocate these propositions have another name in other places — they are called Democrats — and to prevent any jnistakes, before we go any further, that term shall bo properly understood. Democracy, pure and simple, means government by the people, as against government by those who claim to rnle by virtue of their birth or great possessions. It ia nocessary to state this, because the advocates of aristocratic rule ywiali^demooracy to be confounded with communism and socialism, and mob rule. A candidate professing to be a Liberal, if he is a true one, will be a Democrat, and will pledge himself to advocate, among the measures now bpfore the public, the following : — Redistribution of Seats, without increase of members andin double or tri-unional constituencies ; an elective Legislative Council ; a Governor elected by the colonists, with a material reduction in the present enormous salary; a reduction in the preset t Customs duties, under which tho poorest classes are ' SO unequally taxed ; to oppose all assisted immigration as a most extravagant- way of introducing want and misery into the colony. If there is work to do, thousands of workmen of every description can be obtained ¦ from the neighboring colonies without it costing the, colony one shilling of the tax- ' payers' money. No doubt these views will ttartle aome Conservative-minded people, but they must come — the handwriting is on the wall, but not everyone can read it. I am, &c, TRA.VELLEB.