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Hokitika Guardian, 17 February 1932, Page 4

'l'nr fieri ions in Ire!.mil lire now STNl’iiU'- '. : nn. im 1 f”; f s - I inn ol' 1 li*» iiulicit's outlined i>v Mie I wo 11 :irties aere rerentlv »ri v<*n. ’I lie Miei^t<*r o' l*'st«-rnnl AlTsiirs 'Mr I*. Mr(!jlli;i:in') ileliied 1 1 is parly s ntliliidc i n I.ln* Dn'il in .liilv Mist sh I'e lows: We liml one nnrpnso in ! M2(‘>. nml Unit, wns tl.-t there must. I»f upr< »«vte *1 Irom l!r whole system nr Uij.s State rim Britidi Gove! mnent;

and in substitution for that there was accepted the Biitish M.miarch. He is a King who functions entirely, so far as Irish Affairs are concerned, at the will of the Irish Government, and that was the summing up of the whole aim and the whole result of the conferences of 1926. 1928, and 1930: that one had to get completely rid of any power, actual or feared, that the British Government had in relation to this country. Because this result has been achieved, T ask the Bail to pass tiffs resolution. The Fianna Fail’s attitude was that it adhered ( to “the trad,! tonal and inalienable rights of the old Irish nation, the old nation of 32, and not 26 counties.” It repudiated tne principles of the Statute of Westminster because, along with Dominion status within the British Empire which it imposed, it confirmed the partition of Ireland. The party undertook to do its utmost to undo what it called “the new chains 'that were being forged to bind I reland to the British Empire.” The. next major issue likely to be made a test question at the elections is the present Government’s drastic legislation for the suppression by military courts of lawlessness and the activities of secret organisations. The Act, which is entitled the Constitution (Amendment) Act. was passed under a stringent closure motion in four days, and-has been criticised by both friends and enemies of the Govei’iiilieiit as tth eiicroachment Upon the provisions of the Irish Free State Constitution, in which careful provision Was made for the liberty of the person, free expressions of, opinion, and trial by strict processes of law. Strictly speaking this criticism is well founded, but its justification recedes in the assertion made bv Mr Cosgrave in proposing the closure motion that “if the State does not kill the existing lawlessness, it will kill the State.” The electors fear that under the Fianna- Fail, this legislation wik be repealed, and lawlessness again prevail, despite Air De Valera’s assurances to the contrary. Other issues which in a normal condition of affairs might conceivably react to the Government’s disadvantage are unemployment, increasing economic difficulties, and the prolonged period of the present party’s tenure of office. But things being as they are, it is open to doubt whether the Irish electorate would be prepared at this juncture to take the risk of worse t-lffngs to follow for the sake , of turning the Government out of office.