STRAIGHT TALK FOR ELECTORS.

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 130, 29 November 1919, Page 9

STRAIGHT TALK FOR ELECTORS.

LIBERALISM AND THE ELECTORS.

Before you decide how your vote is to be cast at tho coming election think well of what Liberalism has done for New Zealand in the past, and what it is pledged to do in the future. Have you ever considered this-rthat Liberalism has a long and glorious record of political achievement to its credit in our history, while Masseyism has no history and no distinctive policy which it can claim as its own?

Everybody should know what Liberalism did for this country and. its people at generation ago—how it broke the Conservative monopoly of political power, gave women the vote, unlocked the land, cleared the way for settlement, financed farmers and settlers, smoothed -an easy road toward industrial peace, constructed roads and railways, built up a democratic education system, and endowed every man and woman in the Dominion with, some provision for subsistence and comfort in their declining years. Now, to set against all these things, what has Masseyism done for the country and the people? It is not difficult to answer that question—first the Masseyites opposed Liberalism and all its democratic works—then, finding that they would never have a hope of regaining' political power without at least professing to follow the lead of Liberalism and to legislate in the interests of the masses, they promised to pass laws and enlarge and extend our political and administrative system on Liberal lines. But when they had got- this far, their conscience or their instincts or their ingrained dislike of Liberalism and democracy was too much for them—and so they left their promises always on their election programmes, but carefully allowed them to remain unfulfilled.

That is the truth of the story that the Masseyites "are so fond of telling today, about the alleged similarity between Liberalism and "Reform." To assure yourselves that this version is the correct one, all you have to do is to consider the list of promises made by the Masseyites in 1911, when they were pouring forth torrents of abuse against Liberalism and its teachers, and proclaiming themselves to be the only upright and conscientious politicians on the public stage. With many a solemn protestation of sincerity, Mr. Massey pledged himself to reduce borrowing, to reduce taxation, to reduce expenditure, to reduce the cost of living, to open up land for settlement, to give us "something better" instead of our present electoral system, and to _ prevent the public works grants from being used as a device for vote-catching Now, reflect upon this—of all those promises the Masseyites, after eight years in office, have performed not a single one! Is not this enough to explain why Masseyism has no history? It has stolen its policy proposals from Liberalism, but dare not carry them into effect —and it is only because "Reform" to-day is "Liberalism camouflaged," that Miv Massey can ask the electors to observe how closely the "Reformer" resembles his Liberal brother.

Think well of all these things before polling day!

(PUBLISHED BI ARRANGEMENT.)