Page 3 Advertisements Column 8

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17295, 20 October 1919, Page 3

j WHAT IS LIBERALISM?

1 —— —•«- SIR W. EARCOURT'S DEFINITION. " Micro!)*;" -writes: There axe. tones and seasons when it seems the fashion to call certain actions or movements by terms such as Economic, Progressive, or Democratic, whether suitable or no. .Inst now, with a possibility of the return to i" party Government, "' Liberal". it '• Liberalism" is coming into use, if not favour. Would it be possible to get -» clear definition of what Liberalism of the present dav means? I have among my scraps a "definition of what Liberaasm - once was, a copy of winch 1 attach. It may, perhaps, lead to .some thought on the matter. ~„. TT , In the year 1873 Sir William Harccurt, in a speech at Oxford, nIQ in reference to Liberalism :-" If there be any party which is more pledged than an other.to resist the policy of restrictive legislation liavinz for its object social coercion, teat Partes the Liberal party. The proud title which it has assumed procjaome the principle on which it is founded to be K of liberty. Liberty does not conart >» making others do what yon think rich? The difference between a free Covemment and a Q™™%* governnot, free is principally thi*-J»t ™ rn ne„t which is not free interferes with i. evervthLg it can: and a tree Govern--1 men interferes with nothing except what I ft must A despotic Government, trie* to 5 mX everybody do what it wishes; a t Liberal Government tries, so far as the | safetv of society will permit, to allow 1 everybody to do what be wishes. It has I teen th/ function of the Liberal . party ' consistency to maintain the doctrine of I individual" liberty. It is ba«a» thav 3 have done so that England is the * country where people can do more what thev please than in any country m tns "* world It is the practice of allowing ems - set of aple to dictate to another set • 6 of people what they shall do, what tae.v A shall think, what they shall danfcv w«a---.' , thev <=>• "" '» to- '""*• wnai they £aaß buy, ~,„i her »»«»>■ il, What wages thc-yv-^ ■-haii -I * T * rl '"•'•*' ** If 91 f 9* lt ? *&s£&; ; ? : * agaiiiTfc ui.-x-a oi* fUfcera! p«i£' ft«S ' afwati prott. ~u«' ;,• .