DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22353, 29 August 1934, Page 15

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT

TO THE EDITOR. ' Sib, —In reply to the effusion over the name of “ Plain Bill,” I would eay that it is true tha.t I have been nominated as one of the candidates in one of the selection 1 ballots for Labour candidates. It ! is also a fact, though your readers will scarcely need reminding of it, that I have contributed regularly to your correspondence columns for the past three or four years. The inclusion or omission of the bracketed words referred to by “ Plain Bill ” makes no difference whatever to the meaning of the quotation. Sufficient was quoted to illustrate the point at issue. No more was needed, no more was given. Indeed, “Plain Bill's ” concern over such a trifle reminds me of another quotation which says: “Trifles light as air are to the jealouse confirmation strong as proofs of Holy writ.” “ Plain Bill ” refers to the “ machine politics of the Labour Party.” I would attract his attention to the fact that the Labour Party is the only demo-cratically-controlled political organisation in New Zealand to-day. Its policy is franied by the delegates from all the branches, who meet in conference every year, and its candidates are chosen not by any executive body, but by the actual members of the party in the electorate in question. To quote Burke’s own phrases, when a man's “unbiased opinion, his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience” lead him to the opinion that the policy of the New Zealand Labour Party is the policy which Nen w Zealand needs, and that it is the one which will bring true prosperity to New Zealand, then such a man is living in accord with the democratic ideals of Burke in pledging himself to work and strive to bring that policy into operation in New Zealand. “Plain Bill” seems concerned about fundamentals and about democracy, but T would remind him that people who really have these causes at heart, people

who really have the welfare of their fellow-men at heart, have also the moral courage to sign their names to their letters. It is plain that “Plain Bill” lacks this, and I intend to ignore all his future thrusts in the dark until such time as he is able to develop the necessary character to champion openly what lie professes to believe in by signing, his name to bis letters. —1 am, etc,, 1). G. M'Mit.lax. Ivurow, August 27.