SIR ROBERT STOUT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5227, 6 April 1895, Page 7

SIR ROBERT STOUT.

(LytieUon I'iws.)

! The speech <lelivarod by Sir Robert ; Stout, on Tuesday even'inpr in this city ia admitted by his best trienda to have been disappointing. It is true > tbiit it .was labelled a lecture, and that | ths hpaaks-r dropped for the nonco the fiercely belligerent tone bo usually adopts when discuosiug the Govsmmont's policy and administration. Still, two facts were patent; the ap9<?ch wae almost entirely a repetition of Sir Robert Stout's address to bia constituents at Wellington a week or two ago, aud though the speaker's style .was didaofcic-r-we had - almost said " preachy V — his illustrations formed a succession of attacks upon the present Grov-erament. The points of: tbo speech were tbe illustrations, not the platitudes which served as pega upon which to hang them. Sir Robsrh avoided discussing the general dangero which bwet any form of democratic govercmeut, but pointed out tho wrong-doings (aa he regards them) o? the present occupaato of the Treasury Bsncbea and the weakness aud serviHty of their oupportors in the House. In taking tbis line, under giiiae of a lecture on a great (subject, Sir Eobert Stout clearly placed bis audience at a disadvantage. The politician who goe3 on the stump expeefca no quarter. His audience ara, by universal cuatom, allowed to express approval or otherwise of his opinions, and even to contradict his statements oE fact. Cpurieny requires a • different line of conduct towards a political leader wha assumes the role of a. lecLurer. He ia expected to deal with broad prin« cip!eß, to cull hia illustrations from Ihe pages of history and from the # whole world of politics. Sir Robert $itout is [quite capable of doing this. No. 'other man ia New Zealand possesses the same qualiflcationa for the work. Instead, however, of making a great speech on a great, eubject, Sir Robert sacrificed himself; aud his audience by descending to :the ■ level of a dieappoiuted i politician who professes to think that the ship of State ia drifting on to the rocks because he is not in command. 3ir Robert has been twice in ;he Government of this colony, once ia Premier. "Wo do not remember ;hat his Government was a collection )£ paragons of political virtue. It was about equal to other Governuents in both ita good and its bad points. Eeally Sir Robert mould be careful, or the public will regard him as a man who preaches deals, when out of office, and drops Ichem when in a position to carry them out. One poiut will illuctrate "tliis. Ho scoffingiy referred to the Tariff Commission, and declared that its only object was' to find ' out a new way of taxing the people. Has ho forgotten that in 1887 his own Government was ejected from office by the Conservatives because it proposed a revision of the tariff in order to secure revenue ?

It would be idle, however, to follow Sir Robert through hia criticisms of the Government. From " Clause 21 " to the increase o£ temporary clerks, he has in Parliament * given us the iwholelist of Minisl*erial,.p£EtiOces. The electors of Christchurch know all about liia charges against the -Government and it speaks well for the courtesy ot' our p9ople that they sat out what after all was only a rechauffe of the pabulnm daily Berved up by the Conservative Press. But wo are entitled to raise another question, pertinent to Sir ."Robert Stoat's address. If, as we believe, that address was not a mere lecture, but was the speech of a politician who would fain grasp the reins of power, what was its policy ? Sir Robert Stout ia not satisfied with the present Administration. He says it is corrupt. Were this true, reform should come not by a return to Conservatism, but by reform and reconstruction within the .Liberal Party. It is cvi.dent, however, that Sir Kobort would rely upon another method. Indeed, his present attitude lends colour to the rumour that he would not.be averse to accepting nomination as the leader of the Opposition. Take borrowing, for example. Sir Robert thunderß against any increase of the national debt, and quotes Laveleye, the Belgian economist, in support of the idea that borrowing is the new form of slavery. But how would Sir Robert provide funds for the opening up and development of a new country such as this? Would be tax the population to secure the capital cost of railways, wharves, harbour works, roads and telegraphs ? Surely not, for ho is against increased taxation. One other plan would remain. He might allow syndicates to under* take the work. Bat, alas ! Sir Robert's own pet scheme in connection with the Midland line does not justify further experiments in that direction. Clearly, then, Sir Robert Stout is on the horns of a dilemma. If he will not have increased taxation or borrowing in any form, how are public works to be carried on? This, however, is only one instance of many in which Sir Robert Stout allowed his desire for fit age effect to destroy- his claim to be regarded as a statesman.

His allusions to two or three other subjects showed Sir Robert; to be out of with advanced Liberal ideas. His references to the unemployed question proved that he is an individualist of a pronounced type. His declarations of the duty of the State were of no uncertain character. There was not one word of the strong aiding the weak, or of conditions being equalised that the race may not be always to the swift. His policy waa that the State should encourage individual thrift, and that it .should induce men of enterprise to come to our shores by asauring them of security for their earnings. These proposals may be right enough, but there is another side to the great social problem. We mean the side of the workers, and of the men who, by reason of large families, weak health, lack of work and other causes, are heavily handicapped in the struggle for existence. What had the speaker to say for toilers of this class? Absolutely nothing. On the contrary, when he came to discuss old age pensions, his individualistic ideas overshadowed all concern for the workers. He recognises no right on the part of the aged, except

Mio right to make provision for rhemeeivea or starve. Ho emphatically deoi-ies tho fcystcin must be volun^uy. fin.l his illustrations showed thifc he altogether dissento from the principle that -the State owes anything to _ the .aged beyond the abortiva chp.ritable aid system which he reduced to law and placed on tho Statute Book of thio colony. On the unemployed question Sir Robert Stout adopted the laissez faire doctrine. Ho repudiated, by inference, if not'direefcly, any responsibility on the part of the State, and made no attempt to suggest a solution, hia remarks mainly going to show the diflicultios that surround the subject. It will thus be seen that Sir Robert Stout displayed in his speech little or no sympathy with advanced Liberal viowa. : On the contrary, bn is clearly looking at thingsthrough capitalistic glasses^ Mr Ballacce set up. a goal, for himself and ever pushed towards it. Sir Eobert Stout constautly changes his point' of view, and, aa a consequence, is generally regarded as unstable. At preaent he Btands dis-. sociated from both parties, and a useless element in the political life of the colon?.

It will be remembered that Sir Eobert Stout, when speaking in the Opera Koose on Tuesday evening, declared that the Government had by suspending the operation of the Sea Fisheries Act oli last session overridden the authority o£ Parliament and shaken tbe foundations of the Constitution. He drew a terrible picture o£ what might happen if tbis sort of thing were allowed to go on and appealed to his audience to rise up. and denounce the men who had used their high positions ' to defeat the deliberate wishes of the people'a representatives. It was a reatty fine dramatic effort, but it is rather unfortunate for Sir Eobert Stout that it rested on the flimsiest substratum of truth. Tho facts of the 'case havo just been telegraphed by oni* Wellington correspondent, jiud we _ cannot do. better than quote that gentleman's telegram in fall. It. says':—

About March 20 Mr J. A. Millar, M.E.R. for Porfc Chalmers, with Mr William Innea, of Duuediu, waited on the Hon W. P. Reeves, who has, in. ths abseuoo of the Hon J. Q. Ward, control of the Marine Department, aud Jaid before tho Minister a detailed statement of the hacdahipa which won Id ba inflicted on some of hia constituents if tho Act were enforced. The Minister promised to do what he could in the matter, and undertook that in the meanwhile the Department would not haraedagly enforce the Act. No statement was made respecting Buspanaion, although Subsection 16 of Clause 5 givo3 the Governor full power to exclude from the operation o? the A cb, or any portion of the Act, any part of the colony. Independent inquiry at the Marine Department shows that iv no part of the colony has the Acb or any portion of it been suspended. A few weeks ago the anthoritiee at Lyfcteltou, under the impression that the Acb waß cuspended, asked for information and received orders to carry out the measure in its entirety as it was ia full force.

It will be interesting to see what Sir Robert haß to say in reply to this very clear statement. of the position. At present it looks as. if: he had been vary groosly misled as to the action of the G-overnment. It is possible, of course, that 'he believed he was speaking the t.rnth when he frainod that startling indictment against the Ministry, but it will occur to moat of our readers that he should have made quite sure of his ground before he compared the action of Mr Seddon with the capricious procedure of the Stuarts. A few simple inquiries at the Marine Department would have elicited the information that has now been supplied by our Wellington correspondent. .

The following letters are reprinted from the Lyttelton Times : — TO THE EDITOR. Sib,— lll the United States, when the Executive is changed by vote of the people, there is not a plenipotentiary abroad nor a Civil servant at home who is not liable to loss bis place to make room for the installation o£ an adherent of the incoming party. To the mind of the Briton this is corruption, bat it is not co to the American. Tbo ' practice in application is general; there is nothing secret nor underhand about it; it has been adopted by both parties, and it has been so long established, end is so well recognised that it has grown to be as much a part of the political system as if it had been definitely provided for by a section in the Constitution. Although the Canadians have this system of " spoils to the victors 1 ' constantly in operation before their eyes across the border, it has failed to move them in the slightest, and to talk of ita being incorporated in any degree in the practice of any British community is the sheerest uonaeuße, a perfeot misapplication oC terms and a waste of words. "With regard to the oharge of the suspension of the Sea Fisheritso Act, there is another Bide, and judgment may well be held in abeyance until the other side is heard. There are difficulties in the way of the punctilious administration of the Civil Service Act which mast occur at once to the mind of anyone having any knowledge of the subjeov, and these difficulties have operated with equal force upon every Government which has hold office since the Act was passed. To speak in this connection, then, of evils "which have recently been inaugurated " is distinctly and deliberately to convey an entirely false impression, The Civil (Servants of this colony as & body owe theiv positions to Tory administrations ; as a body they were opposed to the Liberal administration of Sir George Grey; as a body— the fact is somewhat notorious— they have been opposed to the Liberal administration of Mr Ballance, and they ure to the Liberal administration iof Mr Saddon. In all the colonies, but in i New Zealand particularly, the Civil Service is imbued with a Btrong party feeling on the Tory side. Why should this be ignored? So with regard to Govern* ment advertising in the Press. If you will turn up your files you will see that some fifteen years ago the Tory Government in office, denied advertisements to the Lyttelton Times which were given to the Press, and to the last this partial policy was faithfully adhered to by the Torieo. Yet we were told laßt night that this system also has been "recently inaugurated," and, again, a dißtinctly false impression was sought to be conveyed. Public men, when dealing with the public affairs of the present, should have ever before their eyea a lively rocollec- ; tion of their o vra conduct and circumstances in the past. Sir Eoberb Stout, when reciting how the public debt had been increasing during the past five yearn— from £60,000 to J5750.000 per annum— said not one word of the many millions that were borrowed when he was nominally at the head of affaire. Of course, ho posas as the one virtuous political saint; but, of a truth, he was a very big political Satan reproving comparatively small Bins.— -I am &c, *JASON.

TO THE EDITOIi,

Sib,- The letter of Mr M. Davie this morning, very nearly hita tho mark, bub neither be nor Sir Robert Stout touches the real dauger to our democracy. And that is the enormous amount of ?ice,

\ iniquity and unbelief permeating: our social life. It j s truly awful to contemplate hon our young- men, brought up under a Godless systoci of education, dieregard every itetn oE religious iuiy and openiy violate the sacred commandments. Nouo go to church, but they' laugh, and sneer at those who .do. The racecourse ia the object of their ambition, and there they lake their degrees in vice and crime. They go there for what? To oeo the brutal exhibition of horses cruelly thrashed and -cub nbout with horrible spurs, so that in their ngony they may put forth extra exertion to enable their owners to extract money from the silly dupes. Holidays oven are proclaimed for these unnatural exhibitions, and the Government ailowa rncsaßrds to be openly sold in our streets. Eacing leada to gambling, crime and drink. Tbeee are tbo dangara of democracy, and I know from bitter experience that to speak of religion in Christchuroh is to -throw pearls before swino. Therefore I write from a worldly point of view.— -I am, &c, IN EABNEST..,,

TO THE BDITOB.

Sia,~ After listening to Sir Eoberb Stcmt'ij speech on ''Democracy," I came to the conclusion that the radical " Robbie Stout " ia dead, and that the new Sic Eoberfc reigna in his Btead. Twenty years have tn&de a great . change in the then rising young Radical who had the Conservative press dead against him, bnt that was when ho had a down on the aristocracy and did not beliova ia titles. What is ho now H Surely no one will ever call him a Liberal after hio address on Thursday. He thinks we could do very well with one Chamber; but he has nothing to Bay against the Legislative Council, who havo blocked progress time after time, and he e?en thinks they have paoaed Billa which ought cot to have been pnssod. Ha now believes in the abolition of party government, but a fow years ago he was a very strong party man, and could gi7o reasons why he believed in parky. He is now v<jry strong for parity, and pointed out the Bhortcomicga of the preoent Ministry, but he said : nothing of any jobbery which Borne people thought took place in the Stout- Vogel Government. Hois dead againat borrowing and a great beliaver in individual thrift ; each man should eecure a pension for himself and his children. It is 30 easy to do it; H tho poor would only pay 4d per vs-osk for eaoh chiid until they are twenty-one years of age tho children would ba provided for. Why many men puff more than that away in tobacco, but he did not tell na how icueh of that wasted money was kept by the Government. Lat 113 supposa a man hna a family of dis— and some hrsve double that number to provide for — he must pay 23 per week towards a pension for them whan they get old and pasfc work. Perhapn two out of the,feix will r<:ach the age of oixty or cay Bisty-flve. The money for tbo pension ha? to bo p?.id, whether the man is in work or not ; aad it is quite impossible to give a pension any otber way, and then it Ehould be given aa a right, and not as a enmity. It is to bo sincerely hoped that the people will thank Sir Robert for nothing, aa far as the pensions for the aged are concerned. We find no difficulty in raising sufficient for educational purposes, and I maintain that if ie comes .to a matter of righteousness, we have as much right to care for the aged as wo have for the young. To me,' Sir Robert Stout's speech seemed fall of hypocrisy and cant/ aad no Tory could have done more special pleading for tho party than did Sir Robert when speaking of democracy. His views on democracy are different to. those h8 used to teach years ago. ' In conclusion, allow me to state that many are far from satisfied with tho Hon K. Seddonj but I believe that if it came to a vote between Seddon aad Stout; that Mr Seddon would poll three to Sir R. Stout's one.— l am, &c, *AN ELECTOR.

TO THE EPITOB,

Sir,— Having been s resident, of 2?ew Brighton for twelve mouths, dating which time I have constantly heard the praise? of Sir K. Stout sung as a splendid speaker sad thoroughly upright man, I repaired to the Opera House fully expecting a real treat. I left with the conviction that thtt title of the lecture waa only to draw p fall house in order that Sir Robert might ruake a very covert but subtle attack upon the present Government. Sir Robert L-iftde the moat of the fact that we need our beßt intellects in our Civil Service and in our Parliamenc — men of sterling character and ability, and what wo were loft to infer was, men like Sir Eoberfc. It eoema to me, however, that we shall have to look for men with clearer conceptions of honesty than Sir Eobert, for it does not appear to me .honest to invite an audience to listen to a lecture on democracy and then proceed to adverse criticism of a particular Government. Not a single danger pointed out by Sir Eoberfc, as threatening democracy, but what has been •with us and threatened every form of government we have had since governments were established. Sir Eoberb asserted that " without a free Press a true democracy was impossible." And then went on to show that Governments were in honour bound to distribute their advertisements equally to all papers. Surely this is "playing to the gods." He cannot be iv earnest. If he is, then if we have in our midst a paper of the vilest character* a paper advocating the overthrow of all governments ; we must help to keep it alive by subsidising it with Government advertisements ! What is the use of giving our advertisements to a paper that might in its leading at tide destroy the value of the advertisement P Sir Robert has a reputation for logics, yet his logio limped perceptibly when he came to the question of the liquor traffic. He accepted Lincoln's definition of democracy to start oat with, that all . must bo considered— not a particular class. Yet he seemed to think that if out of 2000 voters 999 were in favour of having a glaas of beer or spirits, and 1001 were not, the 1001 should govern the 999.' Surely this ie class government.— l am, &c, . * ELISSUR.