The Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 1664.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5024, 10 June 1884, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 1664.

Cabried by Acclamation : — The "Working Men's Political Association " cordially approves of the action taken by MrDorney, as President, with regard to Mr Rowland and the Stanmore election." In order that our readers may understand this resolution, and be enabled to appreciate its significance, it is necessary that they should be made acquainted with the nature of the correspondence referred to. Briefly the affair is as follows : — When Sir Julius Yogel announced his withdrawal from the East Coast electoral contest, some of the Ashburton electors forwarded him a requisition, and at the same time the member for Stanmore expressed his willingness to retire in favour of Sir Julius. In this Stanmore proposal, Mr A. G. Howland appears to have warmly interested himself. He conferred with Mr Dorney, the President of the Working Men's Political Association, for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not that Association would oppose the candidature of Sir Julius. Subsequently a letter addressed by Mr Dorney to Mr Howland was published in the columns of the Lyttelton Times, and therein occurred the following declaration : — " I have had no opportunity of seeing any of the members of my Association since seeing you, but I can state for them and myself that if Sir Julius Yogel's ideas are in ' one iota opposed to our programme, or to him who has the carrying out of the same, we will fight him to the death." Mr Dorney's declaration, certain words of which we have italicised, has been endorsed with acclamation. We call attention thereto thus prominently, in order that working men may know precisely under what conditions they join the Association. Orthodoxy, so far as the Christchurch Working Men's Political Association is concerned, is Mr Dorney's doxy. Anybody who may happen to differ from him in one iota, is an enemy who must be fought to the death. Such a declaration is ludicrous, inasmuch as it is suspiciously akin to the stamp of tragedy which harrows up the feelings of transpontine London. It is pitiable, inasmuch as it evidences how men of illiberal mental perception may " pinch their narrow natures more and more." Doubtless the leaders of the Association imagine that their President, who practically assumes a Dictatorship, has by this war-to-the-death manifesto constituted himself a grand example of heroism : and probably those leaders will not willingly recognise that they are proceeding upon utterly false principles. By their acclaimed endorsement of the Dorney manifesto, they cut themselves adrift from the great body of Liberals, who, whilst they are thoroughly in earnest in their endeavour to secure legisLative reform, such as will tend to effect the greatest good for the greatest number, are at the same time keenly alive to the fact that political ruts are mischievous, and that in advancing along the great highway of progress, which is common to men of widely varying opinions, a judicious exercise of the give-and-take principle will tend to produce the best and speediest results.