HON. G. LAURENSON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3040, 19 June 1912, Page 5

HON. G. LAURENSON.

SPEBOH AT OAMARU. (From Ouk Owji Correspondent.) OAMARU, June 11. the Hon. Geo. Laurenson delivered- a* address in the Opera House to-night. Th* Mayor presided, and there was a good attendance. The Minister, whose speech was on the same lines as tliat given in LHinedin, received an excellent hearing. There was a good deal of applause and no interruptions. * At the close of the address the following resolution, moved by i% R. Mi|ligan and seconded by Mr J. Mainland, was carried without cfc*sent:—" That this meeting "of ', Oamaru electors tenders to the Geo. h] Laurenson its heartiest thanks for lijs abl* .; exposition of Liberal principles, and desires to express its confidence in the Liberal Government of which he is a mnnv < . ber " . ATTACK ON NEWSPAPERS. REPLY BY THE CHIIISTCHURCH PRESS (From Odh Own Cobre3pondbnt.) CHRISTOHCJRCII, June 11. Commenting on Mr Laurenaon's rotercnocs at Dunedin to newspapers and journalists, the Press characterises them as grotesque misrepresentations and scurrilous libels, it goes on to say:—" There are, of course, newspapers representing different schools of thought in regard to political, social, and other matters. There are also journalists with settled convictions on thea« subjects who lind no difficulty in attaching themselves to journals advocating th* ■«

same views, in which, therefore, they are able to write with the earnestness springing from a sincere belief in the doctrine* they put forward. We have known case* in which journalists have made heavy sacrifices rather tlian continue to work for m paper which has changed sides, and ,w« believe the instances are rare indeed whore a responsible write- for a newspaper it ready to take the part of * a mere special pleader to advocate views in which he himseJf does not believe. But what of the average politician '! What of Mr Lauren* son himself ? How is it that he, a professed leaseholder and a semi-Socialist, is found ready to follow humbly in the train, of Mr Thomas Mackenzie, a freeholder and a Conservative at heart? How is it that ho is ready, metaphorically speaking, to lick the boots of the man who three or four years ago made him writhe in his seat and redden with rage at the insults he heaped 'upon him from, tho other side of the Bouse? We cannot pretend to say. We leave that to Mr George Lauren«on_s own conscience or whatever faculty it is whioh does- duty for that inward monitor in the case of a oarpe.t-bag politician. Ha* he, indeed, undergone a change of heart and does be now believe in the views wnich ho formerly spurned? Or is it that the 'attractions of office and of-the Ministerial loaves and fishes have been too powerful for him? If so, seeing how fleeting will probably be his enjoyment of these things, one wonders whether ho now really think* the game is worth tho candle Tb. a t in the meantime he objects to the criticisms of tho newspapers we can readily believe. No doubt every political adventurea" would like to be taken at his own valuation, with no independent critic to prick the babbie, but we" do not think the interests of the Dominion would be served by such a wholesale muzzling of the independent press."