CONSERVATISM.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11181, 1 February 1897, Page 3

CONSERVATISM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I would respectfully urge upon the notice of “ H.C.” the fact that there are Conservatives and Conservatives as well as different brands of Liberals. lam aware that the capitalists and landowners support the Conservative Party as being more in sympathy with thrift and industry than the Liberals; but it is unfair to lay the sins of these classes at the door of Conservative politics. It is also true that the Conservatives, in their anxiety to suppress fads and experiments, very often oppose honest and legitimate reform. But when your correspondent cites cases of nearly a century ago (in his lifetime, I believe) to prove Conservatives opposed civil and religious liberty, bo gees a bit beyond mo. I have never heard of the Reform Bill of 1832, but there was one in ISG7 introduced by Disraeli, and passed by bis Conservative following, embodying the principle of one-man-one-votc. Was it not the Conservatives who passed the Catholic Emancipation Act that “H.C.” speaks of ? And then, again, under the Earl of Shaftesbury they passed the Factory Acts. I will not take up your valuable space in enumerating the many beneficial laws they have passed, but it will be found that the Conservative Governments England has had have always in the main assisted in the •inaroli of progress and humanity. In New Zealand here the Conservatives were mainly instrumental in passing into law the Education Act, Manhood Suffrage, Women’s Franchise and many other great reforms, and have always opposed any menace to liberty, such as prohibition and Bible in schools. Many of the Liberal candidates before the last election were in favour of a majority deciding botli these questions, and the Conservatives have always opposed them; one as a restriction of civil liberty and the other as a blow at our religious freedom. They have-made mistakes, and there have been many bastard Conservatives who were not guardians of liberty I admit, but on the whole their efforts have been in the true interests of the workers. —I am, &c., WILLING.