Rounders

Southland Times, Issue 13481, 15 June 1896, Page 2

Rounders

The electors of Inveccargill have had an opportunity of hearing tho present leaden of the two political parties — the p»rty of steady intelligent progress and the party of blatant unsettling radicalism. Doubtless, too, comparisons have been freely made in spite of the Shakespearian dictum that comparisons are odious. Respecting the leader of the Opposition the verdict will be unanimous that be is a man of gentlemanly demeanour, of coarteous tone, 0.'. : plain, honest utterance, and of <snlightened if, to some, too Conservative views. It was pleasant to listen to his quiet exposition of the state of public affairs. A oomewhat different verdict must be returned respecting his opponent, whose demeanour, tone,and utterance (call 'for quite different epithets. To persons of even moderate education and refinement a speech by Mr Seddon U a thing to be endured, not en-joyed. It is not merely that he abuses the aspirato in the most outrageous manner, so that smiles and titters pervade ttte audience, for I have known men subject to this failing to whom Mr Seddon is but a pigmy both ah speaker and statesman. Nor is it that his speech bristled with grammatical blunders Buoh as would have made Lindley Murray 'a hair stand on end, and would secure for a middle form school boy a sound birching. These defects — serious as they are to a cultured ear — could rtaiily be overlooked by the majority of a large public audience ; but not ao easy wa:i it to overlook the tone of vulgar assumption that characterised the whole man. It. was difficult to realise when listening to him that the speaker held the proud position of Premier of an important British colony. There are some subjects on which Mr Seddon can apeak with acceptance when on a .political platform, for the man ha? undoubted ability and can take a comprehensive view of a situation. Moreover, his long conneotion with the public life of tho colony has made him very fully conversant with New Zealand affairs. But it was made manifest that there are some subjects on which ha is quite incapable of speaking acceptably to a mixed audience. He attempted to deal with the Chinese question in that aspect of it which touches on national morality, and aimply made himself offensive by the grossnees of his utterance. Only a man of innate refinement could discuss such a subject under the circumstances and such a man Mr Seddon did not show himself to be. He is a past master in abusive sl»ng,but has yet to learn, if the task be not now impossible how to deal with grave social questions in a manner other than that of the pothouse. The cause of true liberalism — not the spurious liberalism of the present Government — must have been strengthened by the Premier* repdlant " bounce and bluster."

The question of how far it is proper for members of a Government to hold other lucrative positions is perhaps a difficult qdq 60 vwwer in premiss term " Jt is, * mtHtioq

of vast importance to every elector who is anxious to have for our colony purity in the administration of public affairs. We do not Wish to have introduced into New Zealand the corruption that is so abundant in some bf the American communities, where to enrich oneself by taking improper ad vantage of a public position is looked upon by m»ny as no more than excusable smartness. It is an easy matter to permit corruption to creep into .'State affairs — it is a very difficult matter to expel it when a hold has been secured. Let it once be regarded as proper for a holder of a portfolio in a government administration to occupy at the same time a salaried or in any way remunerated position as director of a trading or mining company, and at once there will be danger of the public corruption that is so conducive to the moral and eventually to the material decadence of a nation. Electors must not allow themselves to be thrown off their guard by equivocal and sophistical statements. Let it be distinctly understood that the politician who accepts a portfolio must relinquish any position he may hold the duties of which can in any way clash with Ministerial responsibilities. The Minister, like Cfesar't wife, must be above suspicion. It is not possible, even if it were desirable, to dissociate the citizen in his* ministerial capacity from the same citizen in the capacity of manager or director or adviser of a trading or mining or financial company. There is a story told of a French bishop who was also a baronial proprietor. He was much given to the use of profane lauguage , and one day, after an unusually vigorous outburst, was reproved by his companion, who remarked that profanity was sadly out i of place in a dignitary of the church. To this the man of double capacity replied that he never swore as a bishop but only as a baron, on which the pertinent question was asked where the bishop would be when the baroa was in hell ? Now it is no more possible to dissociate the minister and the manager than it was in the case in illustration to dissociate the bishop and the baron. It oar government administration is to be above suspicion there must be an end to the system of mixed responsibilities that is fast creeping into the community.

Our clergymen have thought it incumbent on them to call publio attention to a danger that is threatening the morals of our young people. I cannot but suppose that there is some substantial warrant for the manifesto. Parents will therefore do well to take heed and consider whether at present they are honestly attending to their parental obligations. It appears there are some scamps in the town who take delight in the corruption of the young. It appears further that these scamps are of respectable parentage and that some of them belong to what is recognised as the upper class in the community. These miscreants in the garb of gentlemen think ! it bigh-toned sport to invade the honour of families that they regard as occupying a lower plane. How there is but one effective way of dealing with this class of offender. The law affords no remedy of a suitable character. One must fall back on the old Puritan methods, albeit they may appear somewhat primitive. The horsewhip and the duckpond must be brought into requisition and a vigilance committee of purityloving citizens be formed to give the remedies due application. I do not for a moment suppose that Invercargill is worse than other towns of the same population in respect ofthe morality of its young folks. Indeed, frooi what I know of the northern cities, Invercargill may compare with them very favourably. All the same publio attention has been called in a very earnest way to an evil tbat to some extent exists amoog us, and it is our concern to act so that the evil may be banished. Neither the magistrate nor the policeman can cope with the undertaking, though they may in good measure render assistance. The scamps to whom I have referred must be taught by saddest experience that they will not be permitted to prey on the young and unwary, even though in their eyes their victims belong to -a lower social grade. I shall be surprised if our town is allowed to remain long under the stigma that the recent manifesto has cast upon it. Bat.