The Star. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1924. SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLIV, Issue XLIV, 4 June 1924, Page 4

The Star.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1924. SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Delivered every evening Dy 6 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Nonnanby. Okaiawa, EStham, Mangatoki, Eaponga, Awatuna, - Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Burleyville. Pates, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Obangai, Meremere, Fraser Road, and Ararata.

j General Smuts is facing one of the I greatest political campaigns in his life, i and there is much uncertainty as to the, result of the election campaign which is in progress. At Durban, as reported in the cable messages, the Premier was unable to address the gathering at the Town Hall, while he and his Government are being subjected to very severe criticism by the Hertzogites a*i the Labour Party candidates. The Hepublicans have been for a long time trying to overthrow General Smuts, sati in the present campaign they and the Labour Party have reached an understanding, their main purpose being to defeat General Smuts' Government. The method of preventing free speech, adopted with success by the hostile minority at Durban, is objectionable t» every truly British citizen, and probably the incident will do more good than harm to the Government. General Smuts has proved himself to be one of the great leaders of the Empire, and his contributions to its cause and to the cause of peace in Europe will, perhaps, be more clearly recognised in years to come than they ia these days of international trouble and political disturbance. It is seldom that a Premier in any part of the British Empire is, denied a hearing, and such methods of fighting political campaigns are most objectionable. They skould, however, arouse the people to the need for protecting the rights and privi- ' leges which British citizens are proud 'to possess. A writer upon the ethics i of citizenship has stated in the following words truths which, we think, are I worth remembering:—"Though to be a citizen is to possess rights—in any case, civil rights, and, in a democratic country, political rights as well —to possess rights is not to be a citizen. It is ♦♦ be merely on the way to become one. Never can it enough be realised, in democracies especially, that men be- ! come citizens, in truth and in substance, only when they use their rights. ... Eights are not rewards, nor decorations, nor ends in themselves. They are advantages, they are opportunities, they are instruments. And when any man has won them, this means simply that henceforward he is set on a vantage ground from which, secure from aggression and unrepressed by tyranny, he may begin to do his duyt." In these times, when the worshippers of the Bed Flag howl down their opponents, can it be. said that the speakers or those who attend meetings to hear them speak are "secure from aggression and unrepressed by tyranny"? The methods adopted by the followers of the Red Flag" would destroy the right of free speech and anything else to which they are opposed. They do not care what the wish of the majority may be; all they desire is to get into power by hook or by ■ crook, and once there they would adopt j the methods of tyrants to retain office.

"^'ie (^nger of the extremists and the ] re publicans securing power in South Africa is causing considerable anxiety, but it is hoped that General Smuts will receive sufficient support to give his party a majority over his opponents, who, if they succeed in defeating the I present Government, may do great harm ' to South Africa and the Empire of wkich it has so rapidly become a ve¥y | important part. South Africa has-a great future before it under reasonable government, but if it fall into the hands of extremists many serious difficulties are anticipated, especially in the Transvaal and the Free State, where there are still many Boers, who would probably be easily aroused to supporting a republic and to cutting adrift from the British Empire. It is to be hoped that the election will give General Smuts to carry the country forward along the lines of progress which General Botha and he have followed so successfully up to the present.