PARTY PROSPECTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5655, 28 August 1896, Page 6 (Supplement)

PARTY PROSPECTS.

{Napier Ncics.)

It is amusing to note the efforts that J are being made to "create" a majority against the Government in the constituencies. All hands on the Opposition side have had a try, and the best they can do is to show the Independent Liberals as holding the " balance of power" after the elections. Whatever crumbs of comfort the Opposition can pick up now in this way we really need not grudge it. It is cold comfort after all. The fact is, the Government will come back from the constituencies as strong as over, and the Opposition will be in a much worse condition than now, because it will have lost its leader, while Messrs Mitchelson and Duthie mil no longer sit in their accustomed places, they having " funked " the elections already. The Post has been drivenintopublishinga circular which it has come into possession of improperly, and it is enraged because the Liberals of Wellington are going in for -united action. In its anger at the triumph which that circular foretells the Post cries out that Mr Seddon is having the Wellington seats put into his pocket. We can assure our reckless contemporary that it is quite wrong. Mr Seddon is the recognised leader of a party with a progressive policy. The Conservatives who would oust him from office if they could, are a party of no policy, a party wishing to put a stop to progress and to hang up all that has already been passed into law by the Liberal Administration. Mr Seddon as the representative head of the party of progress has the confidence of his followers, and they intend to see to it that the " rickety " brigade do not get a chance of going into the House to harass the Government and play into the hands of the Opposition. If the Post, with others, could bnt be sure that the Liberals would be split up into factions, it and they would be delighted. But, no such thing. The Liberals of New Zealand, under their chief, the Hon E. 0. Seddon, know that united they conqixer, divided they fall.