The Hastings Standard Published Daily WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1897. RECORD REIGN PATRIOTISM.

Hastings Standard, Issue 308, 28 April 1897, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1897. RECORD REIGN PATRIOTISM.

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

For the next six or eight weeks there will be a mighty outburst of patriotism. Much of it will be genuine and much of it will be spurious. In the record of British history it has been the good fortune of the present occupant of the throne to outshine all her predecessors in the length of lease of Windsor Castle. But this is not the only feature associated with Her Majesty's reign. During the sixty years there has been a remarkable progress in the arts and sciences. Industry and commerce have expanded, and the British Empire has extended, blotting the maps with vermillion spots in every continent and in every sea. The Queen's private life has ever been most pure, and Court life has been redeemed of the excesses which characterised it in the past. It may be argued, however, that although the Queen's influence has always been exercised in the direction of purity and honesty, much offcty improvement to be noted in high life has been due to the higher moral code insisted upon by the people. The middle classes of the United Kingdom perhaps are the real cause of much of the improvement, and that surely is matter enough for jubilation. The record reign season will be the occasion for much show of loyalty and expressions of patriotism. There are many ways of giving expression to these feelings. The New Zealand method promises to be excessively colonies and nasty. In most other country efforts are being made to provide for some charitable institution that will commemorate the event and at the same time be useful to the people. In this colony it seems that we are to fall back upon the cheapjack loyalty of address presentations. Already three addresses to Her Majesty have eminated from Wellington. First there was the address from Parliament, a grammatical abortion warranted to make the Lord Chamberlain " split 'isself " when he reads it. Then some loval-minded women concocted an address, in which woman's suffrage was a prominent theme. Now we have an address by the 'N eteraus' Association men who fought in the Maori war-; ; and the homage they offer is of the sineerest character. They say so themselves, and apj ir i tlv the homage in the other ad Ir s from the stand point of the V ru Association, must be tainted. We may he sure that the number of addresses from New Zealand will increase, and what good purpose they servo it is difficult to see. It is scarcely " to be expected that the Qn will have time, even if she had the inclination, to read these addresses. Though they figure largely in New Zealand, their destination perhaps is not the royal presence but th> Imiilit r no::: <>f one of the il;nal pal.vn- 11-- Partial;.> :r,try .id Ire— i~ v\ 1. . \ .--d. It ie\]T, --ion t tf 1 tjal'v i.Y the reprvs« ntatm-> ■•!' tin p. .';•!•• and as such tn.iy well pa.-- . but ii is :!.>• a*.:..- «•£ i . or the ■j'i:;:te-e!K:e >"f u»v.t« f- r i ,> ry petty a.«» •ci-it:* », (oh tie d arid to i ;r.i» u it..- Quetii with framed ad<Jxesa*is, w Inch sli« ha* no luuv lu

stead of wasting time and money on useless addresses, to give form and substance to colonial patriotism and loyalty by the erection of some national institution. There are hundreds of excellent objects that could and should receive attention and become a national monument. A home .for inebriates, or "a national hospital for incurables, or some such institution would fittingly commemorate the Record Reign ; but to give effect to this, money is needed, and that just now is scarce amongst those who are always ready to give. It would, however, be preferable to sing " God Save the Queeir' and "Rule Britannia" than to freight every out-going steamer with a loyal address to Her Majesty.