Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10509, 20 November 1912, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20. EDITORIAL NOTES.

IN' this country for some years past politics have been debased by personalities, and one side has seldom seen any virtue in the other. In Britain also, personalities' have recently been|frequent, and, owing to our cable service being controlled by supporters of the Opposition the impression has been created that Ministerialists have been the chief offenders. But here is what Mr Loyd George said on the subject in a recent speech at Criccieth: —“I have now been nearly a quarter of a century in political life, and I think, I may say that, whether locally or nationally, I have during that period generally been in the hottest of the conflict, and I amglad to bo able to give you my observations, The struggle is as fierce in this country as in any country in the world. The issues are of the gravest character, and affect intimately the lives of millions of people. The controversies that rage around them arouse the deepest passions of the human heart. I have witnessed angry, and even wild, scenes between the engaging armies. Nevertheless, there is no country in the world where political warfare is fought under stricter and more honourable rules of fairplay and personal chivalry than in Great Britain,, and that is a worthy pride and boast for this land. And they will fight all the more effectively because they fight honourably. It is true that on both sides there are men whose zeal and malignity outrun their judgment and their sense of honour, but it is to the credit of both parties that men of that kind are never held in high esteem, and never attain high position in either party. Bravoes who lurk in the dai'K, who use poisoned weapons, and who fling hatchets in political life, are heartily despised, even by those whose cause they imagine they are serving. I am the last man in the world to deprecate political controversy. Freedom and independence and progress would be impossible without it, hut I should he sorry to see the nation divided into two irreconcilable camps, with an unbridgeable chasm between them, never co-operating as citizens for any common purpose. When political animus saturates our blood to that extent then you may depend , upon it there is no health m us. ” THE suggestion made in our issue of yesterday by Mr S. E. Lewis that a cottage hospital should he established in Marton deserves consideration. It would, as Mr Lewis has shown, involve little more expenditure than has to be made under existing conditions, but even if it cost considerably more, it would certainly he desirable to spare patients a long journey to outside Hospitals, which in .some cases Involves terrible agony, and may rob the patient of a chance of recovery. There is little doubt that the conditions of 1 the victims of the recent fire was I not improved by the long journey to 1 Wanganui, although this was accomplished ,hy the most modern means. WHILE peace societies have little chance of persuading angry nations to refrain from war, another force, and a increasing one, may have the desired effect, and may ultimately compel a great red net ion cl! the expenditure on. armaments. Is would f ho noticed from, recent cable news j that at tiro chief centres in Britain, { Germany and France, the laocialists | ; ave held great , [demonstrations

against war. The Socialists have also effected international organisation, and as they have secured increased political power and numerig cal strength in the Continental countries it is evident that they 0 may cause very serious embarras- , ment to any nation whose rulers desire to go to war. When even a d comparatively small strike occurs there is great disorganisation of public services, and if large sections d in each country refuse to engage in the tiansport of troops and war material there can be no war. The force against it is too numerous to be imprisoned or shot, and has also considerable power of resistance. Strange as it may seem there is J" more hope for peaceful conditions from aggressive Socialism than from k> the mild-mannered people who proi- mote Olive Branch Societies and Plague Tribunals.