TWO PRIME MINISTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1925, Page 8

TWO PRIME MINISTERS.

MASSEY AND SEDDON. NOTABLE CAREERS, ISTRUUNG PARALLELS. A comparison of the careers of William 'Ferguson Massey and Richard John Seddon reveals some striking parallels. The great Liberal leader and the man who has led the Reform Party for nearly 20 year© were remarkably alike in many ways. Both of them had to carve out their own fortunes. Neither of them was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. They made their own way in life. They knew from personal experience what hard manual work meant. One had been a working miner and the other a working farmer. Both were ©elfmade men and ©elf-taught politicians. Both were plain, blunt men of the same physical type—big and burly. Air. Massey served much the same kind of Parliamentary apprenticeship as did IMir. Seddon. The one served under Sir William Russell and the other under Mr. John Ballance. By sheer ability and force of character, both of them worked their way to the top. Mr. Seddon had to fight Sir Robert Stout for possession of the highest rung of the political ladder. In spite of the fact that Sir Robert’s claims to th© leadership of the Liberal Party were stronger than Air. Seddon’© from the point of view of education and experience, the party instinctively selected Mr. Seddon. He was a born politician, with remarkable natural political sagacity. He seized the opportunity of showing his capacity, and when once he had fairly got into his stride lie quickly out-distanced all rivals, and made his leadership unquestioned and unquestionable. LEADERSHIP OF HIS PARTY. Between Mr. Alassey and the leadership of the Reform Party stood Sir William Russell, who was leader when Mt. Massey first made his appearance in Parliament. But in this case there was no rivalry, no friction. Mr. Massey had not been long in Parliament, before it became generally recognised that he was the coming man. He took politics He made himself thoroughly acquainted with the procedure and traditions of Parliament, and a sure political intuition put him into harmony with the spirit of Parliament. As chief Opposition Whip h e displayed resourcefulness and tact. His political capacity developed quickly, and he soon became indispensable to his party. He possessed driving power and showed outstanding capacity for leadership. He won th© confidence of his colleagues, and became Sir William Russell’s right hand man. Sir William was a most upright and magnanimous man. He was one of the first to recognise Air. Massey’s zeal and ability, and at a critical stage in the. history of the Reform Party he gracefully stepped down, and, with the whole-hearted consent of the party in the House and in the country, Mr. Alassey became leader, Sir William serving under him with that loyalty and courtesy for which he was noted. In the history of New Zealand, Air. Massey will be given a place in the Reform Party very similar to that which has been given to Air. Seddon in the Liberal Party. He learned at the feet of Rolleston and Russell, just as Mr. Seddon learned at the feet of Grey and Ballance.

TWO SOURCES OF STRENGTH. IMt. Alassey and Air. Seddon dominated Parliament in much the same way. Both have been accused at times of being overbearing, and of using the ‘‘hob-nailed boots.” In both cases th© accusation was partly true. It seems that a Prime Minister must at times domineer if he is actually to get things done. He must occasionally take off the gloves. Both Mr. Alassey and Air. Seddon took them off when the occasion arose. They knew when to be conciliatory, when to be firm, when to* lead, and when to drive. It is this quality, combined with common sense, good fellowship, and a thorough knowledge of human nature, that accounts for the great measure of success achieved by Mr. Alassey and Mr, Seddon in New Zealand politics. Air. Alassey and Mr. Seddon had the same unerring knowledge -of crowd psychology. It is most unlikely that either of them had ever studied scientifically the crowd mind, but they knew it instinctively. They were both men of the people, and the people recognised them as such. They understood the average man, and the average man understood them. Their platform methods were much the same. They both knew when and how to be firm and unyielding, when to argue, and when to woo. Both were adept® in handling a hostile crowd. Both had pluck, and when their fighting instincts were aroused tliey could, and did, fight hard. The British crowd loves a good fighter. The ]>eople regarded “Bill Massey” a® one of themselves, in the same way as they had regarded “Dick Seddon.” KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE. •Mr. Alassey held the premiership for the same number of years as it was held by Mr. Seddon. The hard work, constant anxiety, and continuous mental strain gradually broke down their health, and both died in harness, and in office. Mr. Alassey, like Mr. Seddon., was passionately loyal to King and Empire. Bot- believed in the special Providential guidance of the British Empire, yet both were strong guardians of the rights and privileges of Jlie Dominion a« a self-governing nation within the Empire. Mr. Massey was an AngloIsraelite, which means that he regarded the British people as the lost Ten Tribes of Israel, for whom Providence has a wonderful destiny in store. Judging by their public reference to religion, Mr. Massey and Air Seddon held the same type of religious faith. They seem to have held fast throughout life to their “mother’s knee” religion. Theirs was a 'broad, simple, unquestioning belief in God, Chirst and the Bible. Apparently they know nothing of the religious difficulties and problems raised by modern thought and

Biblical criticism. They did not worry themselves about details of doctrinal theology. Air. Seddon lived and died a member of the Church of England, but never bothered his head about the Reformation, settlement or the historic Episcopate, and Air. Alassey, • a lifelong Presbyterian, never iu all probability, seriously pondered over abstruse theories of predestination and election. Both of them occasionally, in their public utterances, made reference to Providence and the Bible, and they always did so with that old-fashioned reverence so characteristic of th© Victorian each was loyal to his own denomination, their general conception of religion was practically the same. WHAT LORD MILNER SAID. A remarkable tribute was also paid to Air. Alassey, by Milner, who, in welcoming him at a public gathering held in his honour in London, said that he had been brought into close touch with Air. Alassey and knew him as a public man very well. “I know him,” he said, “as the most staunch, the most steady', and most consistent of Imperial statesmen. I won’t pay Air. Massey so poor a compliment as to say he never changes his mind, but he never changes his direction. On all fundamental questions of policy you will always know where to find him, and when you do find him you have found a rock—a rock on which you can build and against which veering gusts of ephemereal opinion beat in vain. . . . He is, I believe, a true interpreter of the spirit of New Zealand. In no part of the British world does the fire of Imperial patriotism burn with a stronger or steadier flame than in that distant Dominion. Not that New Zealand is any less independent in spirit, any leas proud of her status of nationhood than other members of the Imperial family. Air. Alassey is a stout New Zealander. The interests of New Zealand have in him an indomitable champion, but he feels, and in this he is surely right, that there is no conflict between local and Imperial patriotism. They ought to be—l wish they always were—inseparable, to complement and strengthen one another.” WINSTON CHURCHILL’S PRAISE. Air. Winston Churchill, in welcoming him at the House of Commons at a dinner given to Air. Alassey in that hi©toric edifice, spoke of him as “an old friend, and*no fairweather friend. We knew him,” he said, “when the storm raged and the waves ran high. We saw him here always resolute and always cool and confident. Those who knew what the New Zealand Division did in the war—a single division, kept always at its fullest strength and continually in the fiercest battle—knew it had gained a reputation second to none. New Zealanders may well congratulate themselves upon having such a worthy representative. at the Empire Council Board, and one who is regarded as such a source of strength to the Empire.”