The Hastings Standard Published Daily. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1897. DEMOCRATIC CANT.

Hastings Standard, Issue 297, 14 April 1897, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1897. DEMOCRATIC CANT.

For the cause that lacks assistance, l-'or the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

Of all the hypocrisy and cant that has developed with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee there is nothing to equal the canting and ranting of professed democrats. Men win) would, and do, cringe and crawl to a titled individual appear to be the loudest now in their screeching against the Premier accepting any title at the hands of Her Majesty. Some of those who parade their hypocrisy and screech loudly at titles made in London are the people who would grovel in the dust and ijonullcct every day in the we<-k to acquire the rijjht to place the colonial-made honor o£ -LP. after their names. This is the new democrat. - } . This canting is simply Unix arable, because it is luuiseatimr. We all know how easily Sir Something or Li'-d Nobody can draw the very cream of New Zealand -ociety, and how readily the People, with a capital P. make way for the titbd sent. It wuil.l not be a libel to say tli.it tin- a\tr:u»'«' New XealaiKler manure- up the memory of having onei - .-pokt-n to the Karl of ("oidmui-ttr or Lord P>abiugton or some London Mr Knight, and the average New Xialand< r delights in paving homage to th- man with a title, more particularly if h>- can boa-1 of h well-filled purse. We like So delude mirvt ht-s into the U-iii'f that we don't care for titles, ;t>;d )«: \\. are rtitl} If 1' dt'udi i h\ .1! } ] lekatMf-r----who eari - i<> a- tin ji-» r >f a •it';. l . N' : v-1\ !'•:■>.* ig-> -i u.udtiird coiii.»!w-si r!., j il-Ii notion of •o-suttlltf.' 'ha! I;.- u.t-% thv -on of Sir Wnfrt-l l.vu-')!-.. th-- «.!. IfUlp'r.tl.Ci- .ill.i M!-;. The Law „ou s\ iuk- iu tft«

City was " taken up" by several " creamy " people and by not a few I moving in a lower strata of society. Young Lawson was able to borrow money right, and left, and had it not been for his stupid acting he might have left the colony a fairly rich man. He failed to play his part and wound up his career in gaol at Auckland. He went the pace while it lasted, and there was great mortification in Wellington when ilunkeydora found that it had been dining and wineing an ex-gaol bird and an accomplished impostor. We hate titles ! They are mere baubles, tinsel glory meaningless frills; and yet if we were honest to ourselves we should be obliged to admit that nine men out of ten in New Zealand would be glad of a title, even to the much despised -J.P. This canting about the Premier accepting a gewgaw title is dishonest, and the sooner it ceases the better. Why should not Mr Seddon accept a favor at the hands of his Sovereign ? Many a better man than he has been glad to be so honored, and so long as the British Crown lasts the majority of the people who own allegiance to the Crown will be delighted to receive a favor from the Sovereign. We fail to see a single objection to Mr Seddon accepting a knighthood or any other title or favor that the Queen may be pleased to bestow upon him. It may be that in the past some of the colonials who have been knighted were not fitted or did not deserve the honor. If that is so then the people themselves must take the blame, for it is only those who have by the will of the people found their way to the front who have been chosen to receive royal favors. But because undeserving people have been knighted it does not follow that it is sinful or criminal to accept a K.C.M.G. Those who squeak about tinsel titles and fancy frills can scarcely be classed as loyal subjects. There are some who profess republican sentiments and look upon monarchy and all things appertaining thereto as unnecessary and useless. This may I. be so, but if the choice lay between Republican France and the United States or Monarchial Great Britain we think the verdict will be in favor of the latter. Citizenship under the Queen of England is broader and with greater opportunities to the individual than under the President of France or the President of the United States. But we hate and despise titles until the opportunity is given lis of acquiring one, and then we begin to think they are not so bad as our fancy painted them. We hope Mr Seddon will not be so childish as to refuse a favor from Her Majesty, be it iu the form of Knighthood or Privy Councillorship. If it is wrong of him to accept a title, then, to be consistent, he must refuse to take part in the royal parade or to drive through the street of London with a bodyguard of New Zealand volunteers. But whether the screeching canting democracy of New Zealand likes it or not there will be a profuse distribution of titles to colonials. We should not be surprised to see the mayors of the larger colonial cities knighted or the chief magistrates of Melbourne and Sydney created Lord Mayors. That some such compliment to Her Majesty's colonial subjects is intended is adumbrated in a verbal slip made by the Premier of Canada in a mayoral banquet given in his honor. In the closing words of a speech, in responding to the toast of the Ministry, he expressed his personal gratification at being privileged to be present at " the first dinner of the Lord Mayor of Montreal." Colonials may profess a very strong aversion to titles, and it is evident the Imperial Government assesses these protestations at their value—glowing cant, prodigious bunkum. But we hate titles !