Truth MASSEYITE MANOEUVRING

NZ Truth, Issue 701, 23 November 1918, Page 4

Truth

MASSEYITE MANOEUVRING

THE PEOPLE'S PAPER. NEW ZEALAND HEAD OFFICE—" Wellington: Manners-street PROVINCIAL REPRESENTATIVES—' Auckland: 3 Custom-street East Christchurch: 102 Gloucester-street SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1918.

Will the Wkigs fee "Dished" a Second Time? Is the Tory Party dead? Will the Liberal Party follow suit? These are the somewhat grim questions which seem td be perturbing the minds of those able lieutenants of Fat, the leader-skiters of the plute press. Sinae that shy bird the offspring of an unholy (?) union betwteen the remnants of the old Seddonian party, and the representatives m Parliament of the profit-pinching push, nicknamed the National Government, obtruded itself on the Treasury Benches, the Liberal Party, or at least the more progressive and Radical members thereof, have had a trying time explaining away the scandal connected with its birth, and also m seeking: to cover up the reasons why its parents are allowed to continue "living m sin." Tho fusion was brought about .iust subsequent to the opening of the world war m order to consolidate the forces of Fat and enable them to curry legislation oppressive and suppressive of Labor, while the commercial cormorants shjould bo allowed to wanton m a license of exploitation and profiteering such as they never ".enjoyed before even m the .heyday of whatt has been called most prosperous times. Hard-^ crusted Tories, penny pinching sweat-' ed product importers, high protectionists, money-minting local manufacturers, land monopolists and small farmers were harnessed under the divided leadership of Sir Joseph Ward, who for so many successful years had been Richard John Seddon's first lieutenant, and Mr. William Ferguson Massey, a narrow Tory, whose political outlook is as restricted and oneeyed as any narrow blue-blooded Tory's well might be. They pulled as only' such a team could be expected to pull*and the- wagon of Liberalism was derailed almost from the jump, and finally cut adrift and sent careering down hill along a crooked and crazy and crafty road that sdems to have smashed it almost beyond repair. * # • And now the Tory Party, finding how well it can get along with the bulk of those members of the House who poae as Liberals, has resolved to absorb the Liberal Party, by allowing the Liberal Party to absorb it. And so they tell us that the old Tory Party is dead. What it died of has not yet been made public, nor is it stated that a coroner's inquest is to be held. But "Truth" knows the old Tories, and Is of opinion that thiere has been no demise of that ill-favored fat fowl, but rather a rechri&tening instead. The Ignominy and stigma of the dirty underhand work indulged m when the National Government was first marshalled m the field of politics still stinks m the nostrils of all honest New Zealanders. And knowing this, Loot's lieutenants have arranged a mock funeral and, as a necessity m this case, a birth. The Tory Party we are assured is dead, dead as Queen Anne. But there has been born, or is about to be born to the same afflicted and sorrowing parents another child, which the optimistic medicine men of the party declare will grow into a strong lusty youngster. What the name of this latest offspring of Toryism, what- the ideals, if any, of the new force are to b©, we have not yet been informed. But Its leaders arte to include Mr, Massey, Sir -James Allen, Sir W. Fraser, Dr. Pomare, Hon. Mr. Herries and other tried and true democrats. It expects to win to its side Sir Joseph Ward and his Cabinet colleagues, who for four years, m order to hang on to their share of the loaves and fishes, have at one time or another during their four years of office, swallowed every shred of principle and honor the Liberal Party had been left with. And we are told that, the reason for this drawing together of the two historic parties m the state is because of "the insidious spread of revolutionary and anarchistic doctrines," and its purpose is to unite "the more responsible elements m the New Zealand Parliament . . . for the purpose of inculcating sound democratic principles." In other words, Mr. Massey, having "dished the Whigs" m 3 914 by getting them to join the Gnashional party, and thus secured himself m office "for the period of the war," seeing the storm of outraged public opinion that la .gathering to sweep him' and his opera bouffe generals from place and power, is seeking once more m the name of loyalty and patriotism, to dish the Liberals and Radicals and thus save the Tory Party from utter extinction. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, and, by the same token, a Tory, whether 'he be dressed up m the garb of an effete Liberalism, the criss-cross stripes of the Gnaahionalist, or the colorless raiment of the Deform Party, is but a hidebound Tory all the time. * • <* But the "Dominion," the most potent fighting force on the side of Fat m God's Own, sees possibilities m the new move. Other Tory rags herald the proposed new creation as a Caesar who has but to come m order to conquer. Tihe differences which separated and estranged Liberal and Tory m the past, we are told, have disappeared, or have been found not to be vital when compared with the interests at stake! Truly, it is now Labor's turn to sit back and laugh. Here we have the wise men of the Tory Party impressing- upon their followers and upon the followers of their Liberal "brothers-in-arms," that which earnest Labor men have bqen preaching, for years. Tory scribes tell their readers that once convince Masseyite and Wardite that their mutual interests are greater and more important than the differences of tactics and policy which have hitherto kept them apart and the New Party is assured. I3ut Labor need not be dismayed. Tf tihe Liberal Party walks into the Tory spider's parlor it is simply seeking:" that which is coming to it. The real working-class elements m the old Liberal Party will return where they rightly belong-, and whore they should .have beon long 1 ago wore if: not that weak pride kept them from doing that which they must have long felt wit a tho right thin;? to do. The Tories do not seek to explain how a party of landowners and property-owners ami Labor exploiters getting together under a new name can possibly be a new party. In any carte explanations would be superfluous. No amount of elucidation can show how a mere swapping of names could reconcile divergent principles. The only explanation possnVe is that after all the principles of such as join the new party are not antagonistic one to the other, and m getting togeUher the old platforms of both sections may still serve, and without necessity for discarding or even overhauling. * * # P,ut after all the death announcement of the Tory Party was all too premature. We take it that only a prophecy was intended., for. judsyincr by the trend of affairs, the National Party will face the 'polls as svioli 550010 time early next year, but, if Labor is alive to its opportunity, the funeral of the Gnashional Government is sure to follow.