FREE SPEECH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16518, 6 April 1914, Page 6

FREE SPEECH.

Evert serious citizen will find it easy to agree with Mr H. W. Bishop in his condemnation of rowdyism at public meetings. Tho evil has become rather pronounced in recent years, and steps will have to be taken to check it before the habit becomes quite established. To an extent, no doubt, the frequency and fervour of interjections and interruptions at public meetings are an indication of growing warmth in politics. It may bo that some burning issuo is exciting the popular mind, or that an individual speaker has unduly irritated a section of the community. But tho trouble in the dominion at the moment is not due merely to tho too vituperative tongue of the Minister of Marino, although we are bound to say that the Hon F. M. B. Fisher does, on occasion, exorcise’ singularly little tact iiw his handling of a crowd. Nor caitwiHfe* said that the rowdyism is simply a symptom of enhanced interest in politics. Very largely the interference with freo spoeeh is the work of irresponsible peoplo who really need a sharp lesson. We have seen in Christchurch how easily young fellows can be led into utterly reprehensible demonstrations. They are “ out for fun,” to use their own phrase, and attend political meetings to hear their own voices. But Mr Bishop’s memory is playing him false when he suggests that rowdyism is in any way a modern development. There Is no need to go to tho Old Country for examples, although it is not so many years since rioting and rowdyism might be considered essential to politics in somo English constituencies. But hero in Christchurch a man’s memory must bo very short if it does not carry him back to times when unpopular politicians were systematically interrupted. Mr Seddon, one famous Saturday night, had to battlo with a particularly noisy crowd, in which the friends of the politicians who now call themselves Reformers were fairly plentiful. Tho meetings during the election when Mr R. M. Taylor was returned were all stormy, and feeling has run high on many occasions since then. At an earlier date quite respectable professional men did not hesitate to lead the rowdyism, being particularly prominent, we recollect, at a meeting addressed by Sir George Grey in the late seventies. But of course we ought to have progressed out of such had habits, and the fact that rowdyism was prevalent in the past does not excuse it to-day. No ono wants to see the police called in to superintend political meetings, but if the public cannot behave themselves tin? authorities will be compelled to adopt drastic measures.