South Canterbury Times, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1884.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3365, 16 January 1884, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1884.

We have always thought the appointment of the Marquis of Eipon to the important post of Viceroy of India was an egregious mistake, and after events have only confirmed the belief. It is very evident that the Marquis is a man—well, we will not say with a “ fad,” but with an ideal; and men with fads or ideals are the most unfit to govern a State. The Marquis has chosen to espouse the “ Native cause ” in India, and, in doing so, he does not seem to have been particularly careful of bis actions. He has elected to elevate the natives above the heads of the Europeans, and has succeeded in rendering himself odious to the latter, while he is the idol of the former. The whole object of the Imperial Government, for years past, has been to banish race antipathies, and to place the natives and the Europeans on a footing as nearly common as was safe or advisable. That object had been attained, it was believed—when, lo ! the Marquis of Eipon steps in and interferes with the gradual attainment of equilibrium, by fostering the natives in an unprecedented manner; in fact, by wholly subordinating the Europeans to them. As a matter of statesmanship, this faux pas can hardly escape criticism, and, we certainly think, if the peace and integrity of our Indian Empire are to be maintained, that so pronounced a partisan as the Marquis of Eipon ought to be removed at once from the seat of power. He may be, we believe he is, a gentleman of the loftiest aspirations, and the most chivalrous nature ; but he is too much under the dominion of sentiment and too little under that of reason, to be a successful politician or a desirable ruler. He has persistently aroused irritation between the dominant and the subject race ; on which side no matter; he has altogether disturbed the equilibrium. What would be the inevitable consequence if the Marquis were removed from his post? He would be succeeded by a Viceroy who, most probably, would take a more reasonable and statesmanlike view of affairs, would decline to toady to the natives for popularity, and would endeavor to dispense equal justice to all. The result would be that the irritation would be shifted from one side to the other, and probably another Mutiny would have to be faced. A man at the head of a Government system should remember that ho is responsible to posterity as .well as to his contemporaries. But outside all this we perceive another danger. The Marquis of Eipon is a Eoman Catholic—ho joined that communion late in life, and experience tells us that “ ’verts ” are far more fanatical than those born in the communion. The Marquis was formerly Grand Master of the Order of Freemasons, and from that be went over to the opposite pole of Eomanism. A man of this kind is the sport of every senti-

mental wind that blows. We can quite conceive that such a man—noble, highminded, and chivalrous, would place before himself an ideal—that of bringing the Empire of India into the fold of the Church ; and we could look on him with admiration and approval, if no important material interests were concerned. Unhappily, however, our Indian Empire is at stake, and we cannot regard with approval any Jesuitical attempt to sacrifice the peace of that Empire to an ideal, however lofty and in itself admirable such ideal may be. No institution, in the world’s history, i has enlisted so much enthusiasm. Ignatius Loyola, prostrated by affliction, and prevented from following a military career, conceived, on bis bed of sickness, a grand design of spiritual conquest; and, hampered, distressed, and held back as he was, he succeeded in founding and carrying into operation, one of the grandest and most effective organisations the world has ever seen. But we cannot desire that the incapacity of the Marquis of Ripon for statesmanship should lead him to carry out an ideal such as we have indicated, and we venture to predict that bis line of action will lead to results the most lamentable.

This view we take, not from a sectarian standpoint, but from the ground of expediency.

Two matters in connection with the last meeting of the Borough Council call for comment; the one in the interests of Municipal administration, the other in fairness to the general body of our working men. In the course of the meeting, Or Bower asked the Waterworks Inspector to furnish him with certain information relative to a piece of work executed under his supervision. The official, whose excellent motto is evidently “facta non verba,” made rather a mess of his explanation, though it was abundantly evident be had a good case. After a little more pertinacious questioning, and lame reply had gone on, Cr Gibson rose and rated Cr Bower pretty soundly for badgering the Council’s servants, and indulged in a somewhat needlessly vehement defence of them. Or Bower subsided, and the matter dropped ; save that Cr Hill, (who by the way, is not to be silenced when there is a “ wrong that needs redress ”) warmly supported Cr Bower, and expressed a very decided opinion about the treatment to which that gentlemaii had been subjected ; pointing out that it would soon be “as much as a man’s life was worth ” to question the acts of the Council’s servants. Now we are not in the habit of patting councillors on the back, and we very often disagree with Or Bower ; but on this occasion we heartily agree with him and Or Hill, that the servants of the Council ought to be prepared to answer reasonable questions. To defend them in the manner adopted by Cr Gibson, is simply monstrous, and calculated alike to pamper them and injure the public interests. The mistake Cr Bower made, however, must also, in candour, be pointed out. It was two-fold. He spoke indiscreetly, and he addressed the official directly. He should have abstained from implication and suggestion, and dark reference to “round turns,” &c.; and he should have been particular to put all his questions through His Worship the Mayor, for no Councillor can, with propriety, catechise and lecture the servants of the Council. We trust Cr Bower will remedy this ; for, save and except this two-fold mistake, we approve his action, and heartily disapprove of over-zealous championship of the officials. When an injustice is about to be, or is being, done, let us have the most strenuous advocacy, the most valiant championship; but in the ordinary course of business, let the servants of the Council be prepared to furnish reasonable information. We come now to the second matter, viz., the case of Eichard Campbell. We are loth at all times to interfere between employer and employed, but we should be unworthy of our trust as well as of the support of the industrial sections of the community, and of honest men, if we allowed this matter to pass by in silence. Campbell was one of the Council’s laborers for four years and a half, and we have the distinct assurance of his official superior —the Foreman of Works—that he is a first-class reliable servant, and of several Councillors that he is a most deserving, energetic, and capable workman. A few weeks ago, Campbell was dismissed at Mr Dale’s suggestion, as there was not enough work for the staff. He accepted this as perfectly regular; but he could not as quietly accept calumny. It was reported that his dismissal was rendered necessary by his own conduct. His alleged bad conduct did not consist of laziness or drunkenness, but of a somewhat common complaint—bad temper. Not relishing the accusation, and acting under the advice of one or two members of the Council he attended on Monday night,to vindicate his aspersed character. The man was deeply in earnest, he was an old and faithful servant, and he had a grievance. He attended the meeting and sat through it. Nobody referred to him, or took the least notice of him, and at length, as the Councillors were rising to depart, he made a strong spasmodic effort and craved a hearing. The Councillors merely glanced at him with indifference and trooped out, His Worship promply vacating the mayoral chair; and in the course of a couple of minutes or so, Mr Campbell had gained a good deal of experience which he was left to reflect upon on his way home. Now, however palatable or the reverse it may be, —we have no hesitation in characterising the action of the Mayor as unjust. In his exalted position, he should lend a willing ear to all who crave an audience ; and Campbell should have been heard. The man has been caused an amount of needless pain, which might have been avoided by personal explanation, and it is poor treatment of an old and tried and respected servant, to snub or ignore him. We shall not enter into the circumstances which led to the unpleasantness between Campbell and bis fellow workmen. Probably none of the parties would care to have it recorded, but we crave for him and for every workman, a fair hearing and justice.

On Friday last the “ Timaru Herald ” brought forth a leading article which (as is not uncommon with our contemporary’s deliverances) puzzled a good many people and pained others. The article in question consisted of a “puff” of the Wellington College, and a cheap advertisement (by the way, the thought strikes us that it may not have been a cheap one) of that respectable institution. If, in the course of its adulatory article, our contemporary should wander from the path of veracity it would not be surprising, but we may be pardoned for stating that that institution has been very liberally, and oven unduly, supported out of the public funds. However, let that pass. What we desire to draw attention to is the fact that our contemporary is now no more patriotic than he was when he persistently used his pen to damage the reputation of the port. There is a High School in Timaru, which has passed through the furnace of affliction, and has come forth from the ordeal of a professorial examination with flying colors. In a former article on the subject we pointed out that it now behoved everyone loyally to rally round the institution and work for its good. We regret that our contemporary should have merely exchanged the role of persecutor, for that of indifference, and we call upon him to devote a portion of the solicitude he bestows so liberally on the Wellington College (about which nobody here cares a straw) on the Timaru High School. To relieve outside want and neglect one’s own flesh and blood is questionable charity, but it is the sort of charity that the “ Herald ” dispenses.