MR CHARLES LEWIS’S RESIGNATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12529, 17 June 1901, Page 7

MR CHARLES LEWIS’S RESIGNATION.

THE MEMBEE’S EXPLANATION. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Inasmuch as your statement of my reasons for resigning is incomplete, I trust yon will allow me to supply the public with that full explanation to which they are entitled/ To do so properly I must begin at the beginning. 1 never wanted to enter Parliament. In 1890 and 1893 I refused to stand for- seats which were, apparently, easier to win and less troublesome to hold than Christchurch. The reason for my refusal I will explain later on. But I sought to discharge some of the duties of citizenship by taking part in the work of .organisation, acting as secretary' to Mr Rolkston’s committee in 1890, and subsequently becoming a working member of the National Association. When the retirement of Mr Reeves became ! imminent I was one of a small majority who decided that the election! must be fought. Fearing lest the resolution -might be rescinded, I forced the situation by infforming the papers that we were going to fight the seat. Naturally, I was one of the three appointed to find the candidate. Hus we failed to do. Hawing compromised the situation, I was simply bonna to it by becoming a candidate. This I dad, stipulating, however, that my (unsuccessful) candidature should relieve me of all responsibilities for some years. I confess I entered upon the fight light-heartecLv enough, but I was very speedily sobered by the spectacle of a number of men and woman working hard and earnestly) night and day, to assert their principles, and 1 swore a mighty oath that they should have a fair chance, and that I would never let them down. . . . For four years I did 1 what m rue lay to keep that vow. In addition to discharging my duty to iny constituents, I lost no opportunity of, as it were, keeping the business together in the interests of my political companions 'and associates. At the end of that time, however, I found, at the election of 1899, that the enthusiasm of 1896 was dead and gone. The situation had lost all interest for me; at contained no incentive, and I retired. For reasons which I need not enter into, 1 'was induced to re-enter the field, but, taking my tone from others, I went through the contest without the slightest spirit, and, finally, went to Wellington last year feeling that I had some twenty thousand constituents, whoso interests must be attended to, but practically no comrades or associates. Let me add to this the fact that no one has accused me of neglecting my duties. , Our Parliamentary system demands, and is based upon, the physical prostration of the weaker side. Important, debateaible and questionable legislation is deliberately withheld until men who have lived for three months in a hot-house are unable to offer effective resistance. Then the. House is made to sit till daylight, and Bills are shovelled through. A strong Opposition can, in a measure, prevent this by_ giving the Administration a taste of their town medicine, but seventeen men are powerless against fifty-five. At the end of a session a mam is so limp, enervated and run down that ho is liable to suffer severely from attacks which ordinarily h© could shako off. At the end of the session of 1899, Captain Bussell lay for some time between life and death. Last year he frankly left the House at twelve each night; Mr James Allen succumbed to an attack, from which he has not yet recovered; in the seat in front of me I saw Mr Monk growing gradually weaker and more frail, till one day his seat was vacant and the doctor’s carriage waited at his gate. After sticking to it as long as I could I left for my home, where I spent the last week of the session in bed; nor did I regain my strength as quickly as I could have wished. My reason for refusing to enter politics was the fact that my family history was of a nature to render it extremely improbable that I could stand the physical- strain. Each of my first-four sessions left me weak and miserable. The fifth one knocked me out. I hardly expected that every one of the 6340 people who sent me to Wellington to do their work would attend my meeting, but when something more than per cent of them absented themselves I felt that I really was a* last entitled! to ask myself the question, which I novy submit to my judges: “ Under all the circumstances, am I under any obligation to remain in politics at the bidding and on behalf of those who, in the same cause, refuse to leave their firesides oh one night in the year?” My answer is known. Its propriety will be most hotly disputed! by those most responsible for it.—l am, etc., CHARLES LEWIS.