WELLINGTON CENTRAL.

Free Lance, Volume XVIII, Issue 948, 12 September 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON CENTRAL.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 82, 1918.

The Duty of the Loyalist Electors. rip HE electors of Wellington Central, it is sincerely to be hoped, will be given an opportunity of voting for a candidate as to whose loyalty to the Crown and Empire there can be no possible doubt. Arid when we use the word loyalty we employ it more particularly in connection with the war. Were one of the constituencies of the capital city of the Dominion to send to Parliament a man who is not solidly and whole-heartedly in favour of a determined prosecution of the war to the only eaid which can secure a reasonably permanent peace they would be playing into the hands of the mischievous' peace-at-any-pric© section in Great Britain, which would not fail to point to such a disaster as a proof that New Zealand is war-weary and anxious for even a compromise peace. The disloyalist party is probably stronger in Wellington Central than in any other Wellington electorate, and when the heavy polling for Mr. Holland in such an electorate as Wellington North is recalled it must be patent to all thinking people that the Nationalist Government's candidate in Wellington Central ought to be the strongest man available. The local Bolsheviks will leave no stone unturned to win the seat, and it is up' to 1 every citizen who has any spark of patriotism in his breast to>_ do his best to avert such a dishonouring calamity.

This is no time for loyalists to think of mere parity considerations. All party preference and prejudices should be laid aside. It is the . solemn duty of every; man and woman elector in "Wellington Central, who does not wish to see another and yeifc more horrible war break out within fivei, or at the most ten, years from .the conclusion of the present struggle, to vote only for the candidate, whoever he may be, who avows himself opposed to anything in the shape of a compromise peace. We have here at our gates an enemy almost as dangerous to. the future happiness and welfare of the Dominion as is even Germany herself. This enemy is Revolutionary Socialist Party (the adjective is self-chosen, and is not of our own selection), a party pledged to

a complete upheaval of the existing system of society. "We have only to look to Russia to> see what may he the result of Revolutionary Socialism when translated from theory into practice. "We stand for the Bolshevik ideals," lias been the declaration of one' of the leaders of this Revolutionary Socialist Party in Wellington —the party with, whom the selection of the s9-called ".Labour" candidate must virtually rest. We refuse, however, to believe that Wellington Central desires .New Zealand to be governed on Bolshevik lines.

The electors of Wellington Central, especially the workers, should note the opinion of the veteran American Labour leader, Samuel Gompers (President of the American Federation of Labour) who-, while declaring "I would not prolong this war one minute longer than is necess&ry," significantly added v ' 'But I am not willing to shorten it by one hour if that meant that the military machine would remain to cause further wars." Mr. Gompers is, of course, referring to' the German military machine, which "we men of the Western democracy, five millions strong, are going to Europe to destroy." American labour is solid for a vigorous prosecution of the war until the Hohemzollern dynasty is ended and the power of Prussian militarism completely crushed. No other end can possibly be supported by loyal and patriotic New Zealanders.