The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1907. MR KEIR HARDIE’S INDISCRETION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14498, 9 October 1907, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1907. MR KEIR HARDIE’S INDISCRETION.

Some of Mr Koir Hardio’s critics arc throwing courtesy and common-sense to tho winds in their attacks upon tho labour leader. Our information of what he actually did say in Bengal is necessarily incomplete, and apparently we have had to rely upon the “Daily Mail’s ” reports, which may or may not be correct. Moreover, tho direct inquiries from Dir Bardie himself scarcely support tho accusation that ho was fomenting sedition. It is just as well that wo should get our ideas right on these points. The cable have contained a great deal more of what the “ Daily Telegraph” and the other Tory newspapers have been saying about Mr Bardie than they have contained concerning Mi- H-ardio himself, and it is a little dangerous to draw conclusions from the very prejudiced comments of tho journalistic opponents of labour. We have expressed our strong disapproval of Mr Bardie’s excursion into Indian politics, because it seemed to us tha£ ho had, been indiscreet and rash in talking to the Biudooe in terms which they could not possibly understand as he understood them. Be is the sort of man who lets his zeal for reform run away with his judgment, and' it is conceivable that even if he found his words working grave mischief he would be unrepentant. But the worst offence that can he charged against him on our present information is a grave error of judgment. Be had said that he was going to India to tell the Hindoos to demand their natural rights, and most people assumed that h© was planning a campaign of agitation among the discontented Bengalis. But it does not appear that he has carried out any such intention. It is to he presumed that if tho Government had anticipated any grave impropriety on the labour leader’s part it would have taken the obvious precaution of warning him in a tactful way, and Mr Bardie is old enough in’ politics and in yeare s not to disregard such a warning from Mr John Morley. There are some chances which the Government could not afford to take and one of them would be the chance of Mr Bardie talking wild sedition to the Hindoos. a matter of fact, men like" Sir Henry Cotton Have talked much more violently both in and out of India than Mr Bardie has talked, but the newspapers have not demanded Sir Henry’s head upon a charger, because ho belongs to one of the recognised parties and is neither a Socialist nor a labour leader. Wo do riot want to be misunderstood. We still strongly disapprove of Mr Bardie’s attitude on the Indian question and we believe he was extremely indiscreet m talking politics to the Bengali agitators before he could possibly he in a position to understand Indian problems or to realise the uses to ■which his words would he put. But it is early yet to he talking as though he were a traitor to his country and an organiser of rebellion. The very violence of the attacks upon him is simply magnifying hie importance in the eyes of the Hindoos. There is certainly not a shadow of justification . for our growing Hysterical over Jus utterances. The only statement that we can safely attribute to him was to the effect that India had the same right to home rule as Canada had. The alarming reports were those concerning interviews, published by the Native Press, and in view of the latest explanations it is by no means certain that they represented Mr Hardie’s words. The evidence, at any rate, would not excuse the hanging of a dog, and New Zealanders need not be unjust to their visitor in,order to show their loyalty to the Empire.