The Sun WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1914. POLITICAL ALLIANCES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 244, 18 November 1914, Page 6

The Sun WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1914. POLITICAL ALLIANCES.

The arrangements entered into by the Liberal and Labour Parties are the subject of a good deal of discussion at the present moment, and some unnecessarily" hard things are being said.: on both sides. The Liberals are accused of taking Feds to their bosom, , and they retort by pointing out, with some justification, that the Reform Party was ready enough to bargain foy the support of Labour members threeyears- ago, in order to oust Sir Joseph Ward. That, in certain instances, the bai-gain was repudiated when it came to. the delivery of the goods, was unfortunate for the confiding Reformers, but it does not alter the fact, that it was made. At the forthcoming elections it is abundantly clear that the Liberals cannot hope to put the Government out without , the help of Labour. The ; Social-Democrats, on the other hand, hate, the Government with such an intensity that their whole platform''has become subordinated to the cry, *' Down with Massey." With them it is not politics) but' revenge. The Government resisted them during the strike where Sir Joseph Wai\l wbuld" have given way; henc6 they want Mr Massey's head on a charger, and nothing, else matters fox; the moment. '-We do not blame Liberals for" taking advantage of "this enmity on the part of the Social-Demo-crats—all is fair in love, war, and politics —and under different circumstances they might have been able to make more use* of it. In Christcliurch, however, the conditions were unpropitious. The seats all being occupied by Liberals, the Labour candidates can only succeed at the. expense of the party that desires to make use of them. In one case — Christcliurch East —there appeared. .to., be an opening owing to the defection.of Mr Davey from the Liberal ranks, but the Liberal-Labour Association, with, more zeal than discretion, rushed in and nominated Dr Thacker, who accepted with an alacrity that effectually prevented, any intervention by Joseph Ward. Consequently the advantages to be gained from the Liberal standpoint by the alliance with Labour in Otaki, Wanganui, Lyttelton,and elsewhere may possibly be neutralised in Canterbury. The point the public should study, however, is this: It is all very well for the Liberals to make a political asset of the Social-Demo-crats' hatred of • the - Reform Government, but suppose the combination is successful? After J the pints are drained and the cheers die away, the Social-Democrats become the dominating factor in the situation, If they can put Sir Joseph -.Ward inj they _can also put-him out unless lie does their bidding; and the prospect of the Dominion being ruled by a combination which retains office only so long as it holds the gocJd will of the Social-Democrats is one that electors should consider very Carefully. There must be many Liberals who would gladly welcome the. return of their party to power, provided that it wfts/ strong "enough io be - independent of any. Other party, but will view with grave misgivings a Liberal Go-vernment-which is at the mercy of the Red Feds. '