The Socialists' Daniel.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 10015, 4 December 1908, Page 4

The Socialists' Daniel.

(Thmedirt Stars Correspondent.) [.on<!oti. October 23The eables have been busy this week with' tin; name <>£ >Fr Vkt»r Uravsoiif, M:t\. the ttwia.li.-t member lor Colin; Val-le-v. "After his expulsion Jm- the rest ot ' tlus sesaiun tor tlefyuiK the Chatty Mr Umvson w"u« "c&iiretl". by a rabble Qi un- , . emptovuil and "huniwr m:urehera. V ami .. delivered a- wtiple <»f wild and violent lianinsnca' irt tin? air at fet- leaner: is Arches and at Ciuniten '.town. I'uluniat ksiK«w arc- probably cunous tn liu-tw what manner of man this Mr Victor (»rav«oti is. f»r »bvttitisEy the chi»•£ 1 oueation arista? out of this episode is »;>t ; ' whether Mr ttrovson » risht «>r wrong in. .Icfyiiw tlu> ntbi <>£ the Flow in order to \lireet attention- to this unemployed, but wh»'their Xlr (.Iraytsott is the- rijiht sort o£ mil 1:1 to take the least in this way. HUtory is rich, in ii»t»nw« where grwrt refbrouv have- been, set on. toot i.;i fl-t-ut t i defiance of authority.. ami where, indeed, dufom-e teems-to have betn the tmLv n»4. : tn f,t« ws*. But for the end «» jitsttky the me uis. a "'veat leader is- essentialStr Vietnr Urayson. the risjhx tend _o£ , leader for the masses in a.ssreaS. campaign ■ awrnst utieiuployittent suul .poverty/ ! have no hesitation in saving that he i--

; not. ■ ~ j trnasin" a tall. well-bidlt yotttet man of s twenty-six «e»r». with a cleatt-ahaven face. of the square, type. and smooth, fair hair hrr.s! o'< I over a capac i- >us head. He w«ir» iwti.tlly ;v tweed smt of texture and :t uTf'err r tyn>l(!se hat, but doea nut iffctibiti' the dr«« aE : soeiety mi His vofeft is powerful. but'somewhat husky, whether natural! vor through the str»»n- ; .«>f rotteh. pnblte sneaking fcn nri'; t Gay. fhere trf- not hitter vt-i-v reninrkabte itbcwt hw appearance;, it w in Ma'speech that the: secret of his power Lies- Virtof fSraysrm .to a naturai orator. capable- of exercising -a. .masnetic iutliierire over crowds. fie is a journalist by profession. and studied! theology at Liverpool and- economies at Owen College : but platform s-eaktm: is undoubted- • |«- hi* teal' metier. He- tow an- areutejnst How of words. ami wilt.make speeeb after speech on the same theme without repeatins: so much a« a sentence. He haa tingift oE impassioned ebullience. anil a command ol poetic imagery which is rare indeed in the turmoil of..propagandist work. ft is iittfnenee »>v«r aiwiences of aU s ,,fta and conditions. is must xemairkal.le. He t'tttf raise, them t» i» fervor. oi emliustanm or- llohl them spellbound ttt his grip- 'there would seem t»> tie something masnctie about Uia- personality on the public- platform. «> strong «««» o<* hj» hoUi n-port an-audience. But in apite nf its influence at the moment, bis oratory ia unbalanced and tmdu-eiplined,. and irt these respects, it rttii-ete; - I believe, the character »E the mart. It is a .strange compound- oE exalted sentiments-and banali wit t iuistus -—risii iir at times t.<-> real eloquent-.-. ortlv to sink *t » moment to. commonplace i-atuitti;. And. when away from the influence of the speaKer"* personality, and analyse his sstuwms p*-. riotls, you* are inclined to doubt .whether. there l is very much behind them. The events, ol the past few days have shown pretty- plainly. 1 think, that Victor liray-. iaott as a. politician, is it stmnl'e pei; in a . round hole. Me- has not the patience to sit down and think out scheme* ol re- ; form-1 he- finds it so much easier to talk about them, in jteuer-il terms, take so 1 m<MV enthusiasts. especially thoae. whft are endowed with "the jit ft. of the gab,** -he ntefew the broad and easy p«th of eatas-. trophism to the steep useent of cousttttt-. tto rial re form. Ho is a yottrtj* man in .a hurry, with apparently a sublime contempt Ear spade work, or any other kind 0-f work that calls for perseverance. He- luia no sense- of discipline—witness the way he has kicked over th'e : traces ot' the Independent I«ibor Tarty and (lenotmeud the fe'idership- of utteh a vete- | ran fighter as Mr Kt'ir Hardi.'. A man who cannot rule himself Ls obviotTdJy_un- : fitted to rule others, and ait undisciplined ! boy of twenty-six t~ the worst kind of leivttei- for a Meat popular movement. : Judging by- his wtßd: hitrangues to the I unemployed-, itr Uraysott shows- nfcis.wi developiit/r into a datiiieroits tlemaj;ointe. whose itiHuence will r«ut .nnott. his ow» : cuv.se. split the Soci.'ili'st Kitty, and retard ittt prosrees mdefinit.dy.