INDEPENDENT LIBERALISM.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12559, 22 July 1901, Page 4

INDEPENDENT LIBERALISM.

It -would be idle to deny that the election of Mr Heslop for the Patea constituency has surprised the political world. It used to be supposed that Mr Geotfge Hutchison, a rabid opponent of Mr Seddon and all his works, held the district in the.hollow of his hand, and as no one could regard Mr George Hutchison as an amiable or personally attractive man, his standing in the Patea electorate must have been due solely to his political faith. There must have been a marked revulsion of feeling in Patea, therefore, since 1899, for although the Liberal vote has declined from 1729 to about 1535, the Conservative vote has fallen from 1853 to 953. It they mean nothing else, these figures indicate now hopelessly the old Conservative cause has foundered in the country, and how true it" is that there is'only -one party left in the State. The Christchurch and Patea elections have added two more units to the Liberal following, and we see no reason to suppose that the process of liberalising the constituencies -will be materially checked during the next few years. Nor have we any desire to see the principles we advocate ptherwise than triumphant in the oolony. But there is more than a suspicion of danger in the position," because the business of the State is being managed on the Party system, whale an essential element in that system is actually wanting. The functions of criticism and restraint, which can be properly exercised only by an organised Opposition, have been left to a few independent members whose influence and power are not proportionate to their numbers, or even to their individual . abilities. The Elective Executive system, which would make nought of this danger, is strenuously opposed by the Government itself, and we' are afraid that Major Steward's Bill has been killed so far as. this session is concerned, and solong as the Ministry, with its solid following, is subject only to the criticism of Captain Kussell and his friends, we see no prospect of relief. We may be sure that a practised Parliamentarian like the ex-leader of! the late Opposition fully comprehends both the meaning and the possibilities of the situation, and no doubt he holds his hand to-day in the hope that the Liberal Party, being given its length of rope, will ultimately hang itself: Mr Seddon, however, is not tbz man to' commit an overwhelming indiscretion such as would discredit his party in the eyes of the country, nor would a patriot—using the word in its true sense—regard the possibility with equanimity. But the incompetence of some of the Premier's colleague's makes it certain that the Government; will, commit errors both in legislation and in administration, and on the other hand, the very absence of criticism must prevent it from giving effect to its own progressive ideas. The moral of all this is- obviousV enough. The constituencies, it seems to us, must be less insistent an the matter of party pledges. They must be content to choose candidates whose principles are, soundly democratic, without requiring them to give unswerving support to the Government on all matters of legislation and administration. Independent Liberalism, instead of being a . thing accursed, should be treated as a legitimate political force, and if in place of Independent Liberalism we can build up an organised Progressive Liberalism, both Parliament and people will have cause to be thankful. There are, happily, among the Liberal Party in the' House a number of members who realise the necessity for watching the progress of business very closely, whose allegiance to Democratic principles is beyond suspicion, but who are not invariably found votingill the same lobby with the Government. We shall not be accused of hostility to Mr Seddon's Government when we confess to feeling the veiy warmest sympathy With their work and aspirati-ons. •