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Taranaki Daily News, 23 September 1920, Page 4

LIBERALS AND MODERATE LABOR. "To-night,' as leader of the (Liberal) Party, I hold out my hand to moderate Labor, and say coine into partnership with the Liberal Party . . . ; and see if we cannot, out of the chaos that is existing in this country to-day, lead toward better things." Thus spoke the new Loader of the Liberal Party (Mr. T. M. Wilfonl). at Petone on Monday niglit. It was a dramatic appeal—an art that Mr. Wilford has' studied to some purpose—and at the same time a shrewd political move. No, one knows better than the Liberal leader that if moderate Labor would only take courage, organise, and assert itself as a definite political force, that it would absorb the progressive Liberals, and not bo absorbed by them. Unfortunately nothing short of a revolution is likely to bring about a complete cleavage between moderate Labor and the extremists. The main interests of both are too clearly interwoven to hope for separation. It is the extremists who do the fighting while the moderates take their full share 'of the plunder. Throughout history this Ims been exemplified, and the process shows no sign of change. We are apt to regard the present state of industrial strife and anarehial tendencies as something peculiar to the present age, whereas it is merely a recrudescence of upheavals which have many times shaken the foundations of nations, th(.so "endless vortices of froth logic, whereon first words, and then things, are whirled and swallowed.'' It is all a question of government. It may be of interest to recall the words of Carlyle in his chapter on the "Contrat Social," conliected with'the French Revolution:

"Theories of Government! Such have been,' and will be, in agre of decadence. . . . Meanwhile, what theory is.so certain as this, that all theories, were they never so urgent, painfully elaborated, are, and by the • very conditions of them, must be incomplete, questionable, and even false? Thou shalt know that this universe is,' what it professes to be, an infinite one. Attempt not to swallow it, for- thy logical digestion; be thankful, if skilfully planting down this and the other fixed pillar in the chaos, thou prevent 'it swallowing thee." Mr. Wilford's theory that the way which leads towards better tilings is to be gained by a co-partnership between the Liberals and moderate Labor, may be the outcome of hope, but the voice of reason proclaims that Labor will go its own gait, however unsteady and perplexing it may be, It fe not -a case of guide mo, butleave me alone of your guidance. '\'