THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1897.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10596, 10 November 1897, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1897.

Some days 'ago we published a -letter from Dr. Batowell, which may usefully receive , a .few words of criticism. ,He commences by saying that"' all ' lite previous letters',(and they have,hot been fe\y) have had reference t6 matters within the special knowledge of . his profession, but this time he is going to make an ' incursion into the , field of Vfrl'Jl ;- '} u T f. *•*■»! 'a J pplitics. , His notions of politics are so confused. and i contradictory that we are 'afraid they. will : lead to his'state; inents in regard to medical questions pping. discounted, and on the whole .we would advise him to steer''clear of politics as a subject of literary exercise.

Dr. Bakewell confluences by the state raent that • the ! idea of the present Opposition, who "were' in almost/cony tinuous , possession . of power , for,'; more than fl twenty-five years,. posing .-as purists, is loathsome." . It is absurd' to talk about the present : K Opposition having been in continuous possession of - power > for twenty-five 'years. Who are ' the " present 1 Opposition 1 Captain Russell, the leader, pid hold office in one Ministry for a shorti time; Will Dr. Bakewell specify what private friends or relatives he appointed-.to lucrative billets ? ... Take tho other, prominent members of the Opposition, Has; Sir 'Robert Stout jobbed for the advantage 'of s himself or .friends ? .. We are quite sure that Mr. Rolleston, who was always well known for bis Liberal opinions, ■ could., not bo ,| accused of corruption, or of ~ manipulating, the laws for his own advantage. <- Nor could any such accusation; be made against Mr. Charles Lewis, of Christchuvoh, lie 1 being a new man in politics, or .'against. Mr. , Scobie . Mackenzie, '. or. * J Mr. G. F. Richardson, or Mr. G. v. Hutchison. These are the most prominent'members of the Opposition, and' Dr.' Bakewell's acousation against them is absolutely absurd.'; Take our Auckland members ■who are opposed to the Government— men : such as, Mr. Masse, Mr. Bolia.vd, Mr. Hemes,' Mr.'Lang.' '; They certainly have 'had nothing to do .with the administration' of . the ' colony in the twonty-five years preceding the advent of the .present Ministers, nor can it be said ,of one of them that 'lie has looked upon the public service as a , means' of maintaining his . relatives. We ■ know that Ministers, especially Mr. 1 John McKenzie, are foijd of ' | thundering against the Opposition «s if they',' had just been ousted from office after holding it for 'a generation, . and having lived, with all. their . kith; kin, and allies, .f}!} the public expenditure. It is a convenient cry, and is readily | picked up by unthinking and -ignorant people,Di\ Bakewell speaks about the colony hiving beeii : ruled iiiearly days "in the $ a few goyeniingfamiiies." lii the beginning of any: country, when there • is 'bit a "small I population,'/certain families $n'd .cliques will no doubt have a.preponderating influence. New Zealand -was' like other places in that. ■ ;• But it' may be said for; New Zealand, j'tjip; men who led in i(,s colonisation were men of- higher principles, 5 of 'better 'education, of better birth and training than those who were thp pioiieqrs in any, other of -the Australasian '' colonies,! and - certainly Were peftcr than, aiiy we now have on the Government .bifnclips. . / If 'wo take the very first responsible administration formed in the colony we find as' members of it, Messrs. J. E. FitzGeralcl, Se.vypll,' Weld, ; Dillon Bell,: Travel's, and. Mac-, andrew; i i Mr. Weld afterwards' became the Governor of a colony, and. all of the others are; well known, Did any of them become wealthy by. public office, or job in appointments for the bniielit of their families? Can the presen Ministers- stand comparison with • 1 them J as men of.honour and probity ? 'Glancing Ovec tlie Ijst of . succeeding Ministries, we i i find >, the «names - of p Stafford; Whitaker, - -Richmond (the ' late Judge Richmond), Fox, Ee'athcrston, Mantcll, 1 Crosbio Ward,' Domett, and -many others.!; Dr. JCakewell .will be puzzle to : prove;, that" any.of these men tlea with the colony, its if it were create for their own interests. ' -,We have .tit the slightest hesitation in, saying' tlia very few indeed of tlie men wj)opai ticipated in the Government of th colony in the early days reaped ad van tage from doing so, or were the betie pecuniarily or. the• part they took i; political life. 11 Take even Sir H. Atkiu son,' i who is ' always - held up • a an example: of' the persistent oflicc seekerjv lip died 'a poor man. W venture to say that there neve was a ; Ministry in ; this -colony: win did >-/ so well : out of : their politica life as the, present. There is not one o them who will not leave'office : a-niche man than when he entered : it. ' Th'a could not ; be . said , of. any' previoiv Ministry. Take many of ;tlie'.men'o former years, and those wlioknew and coujtl jijppreciiUc tiipir talents |e;u'nnig,,\voi|l4.at once say that inanj -mm

sphere of business or, professional life tliey were capable of appearing in the first rank. ' Would anyone say so of the rank and file of this Ministry >I)f. /Biiftewell" refers. to what | has occurred as regards spoils- to f the victors," and he justifies it •by quoting what took ' place in English history in the days of which Greville wrote, when Sir . Robert, Walpoje jas Me ruling spirit, "who 4 maintained himself by corruption, and on whom is fathered the maxim that 11 every man has his pvjcff-' 1 One would have thought that what took plgje in those timp.s would haje, been held up as something to be avoided. If"iva r are| to j}B guided by English statesmen let us, take a later day, as, for instance, the udminist raljjqiis Gladstone and Salisbury. 0 ' Lastly .Dr. Bagwell ( Mr, Seddon's administration on the ground that lie is " essentially a Conservative," and that, if lie were displaced "the ignorant, masses who, rulp -this qoloriy will choose some other leader, .who will adopt far more revolutionary measures, than Mr. Seddon." It is a singular way to finish up his eulogy of Mr. Seddon by picturing him as a hypocrite and dissembler, and as humbugging "the ignorant masses who rule this colony." If Mr. Seddon is really a Conservative} it inustbe difficult for his admirers to find the .proofs of. ir. Ho is now promoting an Old Age Pensions Bill wjiich is simply Communism j he is desirous or having universal suffrage as affecting municipal elections;' and indeed if there is any more revolutionary measure in the air than is in the programme of-the Seddon Ministry, wo have not heard qf it. Dr. Bakewell indeed never attempts to justify Mr. Seddon's measures," His whole elaborate argument amounts to tliis that other men have 1 been as bad as he is, and that.if. we do not' accept him, we shall get 5 worse!' " " '