The Maoriland Worker WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1919 DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Maoriland Worker, Volume 10, Issue 447, 1 October 1919, Page 4

The Maoriland Worker WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1919 DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

.__ —- v. . ■'.. .■;■:: 1 Thy spirit, Independence, let mc share! | Lord of the lion-heart and eagle eye, | Thy steps I follow with my bosom bare, 1 Nor heed the storm that howls along- the I sky. —Smollett, j

OfiT contemporary, "Truth," once more gives advice to Labor, for a"small consideration. Its "Lessons to Labor" arc-so amateurish and futile that we would not deem them -worth notice were it not for the fact that "Truth" is read by many workers, for reasons tli_.it, while not beyond comprehension, do not appear very sufficient or rational. But the proprietors of that organ know very well that circulation does not depend on quality. Blatchford once said of his paper, "The Clarion," that he knew how to increase its circulation, but it would not be by improving the paper. A remark not without a lesson to critics. "Truth" draws a distinction between the chairman of the Parliamentary Labor Party aud the header of tbe party. It is a distinction without a difference. The leader of the group in Parliament, in the ordinary course of things, becomes Prime Minister when his party secures a tanjority in the House. Of course it does not follow that Mr. Holland will occupy that position, because the party in caucus will elect their leader in the House, and we hope the election will not be decided by the spin of a, coin. In the meantime, Mr. Holland occupies the position of chairman of the parliamentary group, and, in that capacity, is entitled to speak for his colleagues, and also for the party in general and the Labor movement likewise. "Truth" asks Mr. Holland's colleagues to declare where they stand in reference to his statement that the Labor Parliamentary Party will not enter into an alliance with auy _ Th«re is nooccasion for them to do so. They are quite capable of speaking io . themselves, and if Mr. Holland had not declared the policy expressed and implied iv the principles and constitution and the platform of the Labor Party, they would have disowned his declaration. That they have not done so is because Mr. Holland expressed their views as well as the views of the Labor Parly aud the Labor movement tv This "Tmth" states that it is quite possible for a Labor a Liberal Party and retain its independence. This "ows how hopelessly ignorant of Labor ideas this writer is. The fact is the Labor Party in Parliament has the right to support any Bill brought forward that does not conflict with the P]atlorm.of the Labor Party or is in agreement with it. The other day the Labor members spoke and voted for a Bill brought down by Mr MasseyX Women's Parliamentary Bights Bill-the principle ot which is afllmed in the Labor Party's platform. But this is different from another party. '"•Truth" cites the political Labor history of Australia, and draws doleful conclusions from it.' The extremists are denounced as everimpudent, hot-headed, irrational red-hot revolutionaries who drove the sane, logical and sensible men out of the movement. There are two ways of looking at Australian Labor politics, and Tiuth _ m; is not the right way. The only man that < < Truth" mentions as haying been "pushed out" of the movement is Mr. J. (J. Watson. Mr. Watson did very well out of politics-much better than the Harry Holland ot Sydney ever did. He is credited with having £20,000 invested The interest alone in that would keep him without the need for toil. He took a big part in -Labor journalism after leaving politics, but failed signally to make good., journalism being a much bigger test ot a man's capacity'than popular politics. He was never anything but a Radical, and a Radical who believed that Socialism would break down utterly if given a chance in Australia. To his credit be it said he never sold out to the enemies of Labor, but as he did well enough for himself as a professional Labor politician he had no need to rat like some of the men mentioned by "Truth." There are, no doubt, *•■'. -■-•'•'s in Australia whose efforts to force the pace have done more 7".,"'."-,, . cnc i and other extremists whose extremism vanished Into '-A-- ■A.A\A e .-iA-'-- "the pror--)'.-:-.t of a Lli. ist. rial job. On ths other ...■■■••d. there" are extremists of the Holland type who have remained faithful to principle through good and ill report, and who remain poor men, with little prospect of ever being able to retire from Labor politics with a competency of $20,000. The kind of Labor politics that makes capitalists of Labor politicians is not the kind that Labor m Maoriland supports, and if the extremists of these islands can prevent this country from reaping the bitter fruit Australia reaped they will not have lived in vain. # * * • * The division of the ranks of Labor into extreme and moderate sections is a tactic of Labor's enemies. So far as the words have any meaning at all, it may be said that there is room for both extremist and moderate in the movement. Both are necessary-; both have their, value The Worker represents both, and without inconsistency or lack of principle. Indeed, a Labor man should be both an extremist and a moderate; extremist in principle, moderate in practice, knowing when to follow the Unc of least resistance, and also the value or direct action as a constant reminder to the community that there will be no social peace till Capitalism is dethroned and Industrial Democracy rules in its stead. The Labor Party's platform, however, is distinctly moderate, and if "Truth" is sincere in its professed friendship for Labor, it will support that platform rather than urge the acceptance of the soap-bubble manifesto of Sir Joseph Ward, whose aim is to form a political-commercial joint-stock company for the exploitation of Labor's policy. Labor independence is vital, cannot be sacrificed for expediency or opportunism, or any delusive gains to be secured thereby. Any crumbs that fall from the Liberal table can be taken without Labor fawning 'on the lords cf capital. Labor has wandered for long in the wilderness, and now finds itself up against the walls of Jericho, but these will not be thrown down by parleying with the enemy entrenched within. Labor must work out its own salvation, not "in fear or trembling, or in an alliance with its exploiters, but with the courage born of the k..owl«.j?e of- its rights and its power to doin.u.d and enforce Ilicm. The day that Labor identifies itself with Liberalism will see its house hopelessly divided against itself, which cannot stand, having been buijit not on the rock tf iiid&ei-dfi-Utt- hut on the sbMtm. ef