MR SCOBIE MACKENZIE AT LAWRENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2104, 21 June 1894, Page 28

MR SCOBIE MACKENZIE AT LAWRENCE.

Mr Scobie Mackenzie opened the compaigu for Tuapeka at Lawrence on Tuesday, the mayor (Mr Chalmers) in the chair. The Town Hall was crammed, the meeting being considered the largest ever held in the town.

Mr Mackenzie, who was warmly cheered on makiDg hia appearance, alluded feelingly to the death of the Hon. Mr Pyke, regretting that the closing yeara of a long life of public service had not been passed in the Legislative Council, free from the turmoil of elections. He went on to speak of the preposterous claims made by people in the name of Liberalism. In the colony at the present time Liberalism had no connection with the heart or intellect of the man. A man was a Liberal here simply because he called himself so, though hia life might have been passed in selfishly looking after his own narrow interests. He had himself supported every really Liberal principle. He had oppesed plural voting. He was one of the few who had opposed handing over the natioual railway s to an irresponsible board ; and he had been a consistent advocate of State education, upholding the principle when others were falling away in all directions. Yet on the ground that he was dubbed a Conservative they wauted Mr Larnach, who,' he was glad to admit, was a good man and an enterprising colonist, to oppose him ; though it was positively laughable to think that thrte years ago Mr Larnach was in favour of denominational education, and actually of the selling of the railways, the Government Insurance business, and the Public Trust Office to private companies.— (Laughter.) This was Liberalism with a vengeance. Ho wondered whether the women were to be gulled as the men were with this imposture of Liberalism. He went at length into questions connected with settlement, showing how he had always endeavoured to assist the small settler by making the path easy to him through legislation. As to general settlement, it was easy for anyone to prove for himself by reference to the Crown lands report that it was proceeding exactly as it did in former years. It might be claimed that a new Liberalism had arisen which had superseded the old. The new Liberalism was supposed to be based on State interference with social life. The curious part of it was that people were quite unaware that State interference was carried on in an infinitely greater degree in ancient times. Here the speaker, amid laughter, quoted English statutes regulating the dress to be worn, the food to be eaten and the quantity of it, and •regulations fixing the price at which goods were to be bought and sold. The State was bound to inteifere for the protection of the individual, but there was nothing new in the principle, and the whole question was as to whether the interference was wise or otherwise. In the last generation people had probably rnn mad on individualism. Now they were goiug on the opposite principle, and no doubt the pendulum would in time swing back again. He referred to the depressed condition of the colony, and showed what a mistake it was to suppose that prosperity could be artificially produced by legislation. Some people were even now clinging to the belief that a State bank would work a change in the condition of the settler. It was premature to condemn a State bank until they knew the details and the safeguards with which it was to be surrounded. The Americans had suffered long years of serious commercial disturbance and disaster from a depreciated paper currency, and it was by an extraordinary effort the nation had roused itself to resume gold payments. But he was by no means prepared to say that a State bank could not be conducted on safe lines. It was a subject altogether too serious to be treated from a party spirit. The notion that the depression was caused by backs not lending enough was preposterous. The banks worked with the savings of the people, and to encourage them, even if it could be done, to land out these savings recklessly would soon biiug a deeper depression. Referring to the temperance question, he was a sincere friend to t, mperance propeily so called. The public confeieuce had been aroused on the evila of the drink traffic as ib had been conducted, and all previous atttmpfcs to cope with the evil having failed there was nothing for it but severe restriction and control. He was not a prohibitionist, however, and did not think the country was prepared for prohibition, The advocates of the cause would do well not to push the cause further than general public opinion would support them. The satisfactory part was the growth of a healthy public opinion on _ the question, and if that continued he believed we would soon see the time when a drunken man would be as great a rarity in the street as a lunatic. Mr Mackenzte^ concluded by offering his services to the people of Tuapoka, declaring that if elected he would take as much pride and interest in the electorate as be had in Mount Ida in years past, where he had been so staunchly supported by the mining and farming population.

Mr Mackenzie sat down amid great applause. No questions were asked. A vute of confidence was moved and seconded by Messrß M'Hattie (of Blue Spur) and Drysdale (Tuapeka West), and carried unanimously. Au amendment that other candidates should bo heard first lapsed for want of a seconder.