The Star. SATURDAY. MARCH 23, 1912. THE LIBERAL PARTY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10418, 23 March 1912, Page 6

The Star. SATURDAY. MARCH 23, 1912. THE LIBERAL PARTY.

"Wo trust that wo shall not be expected to welcome ttio decision of the Liberal-Labour caucus with an outburst ur enthusiasm.'Personal considerations dp not in any way influence tho view we take of the position, for we can and do warmly congratulate the Hon T. Mackenzie on the honour that has been conferred upon him. Mr Mackenzie's capacity is beyond question. He is a papablo and courageous administrator, »nd whatever he sets himself to do will bo dono well. He is personally a '■popular man, firm and yet tactful, and if'the evolution of the political situation gives him a reasonable opportunity ho will fill the office of Prime Minister with distinction. But we cannot ignore the element of tragedy in tho events of tho 'past twenty-four hours. We have witnessed the parsing of the old Liberal Party, tho Groat Liberal Party. The selection of Mr Mackenzie for the leadership means that the prosess that has been going on during the last five or six years has been consummated. The spirit of the old Ballance -Liberalism has departed, and its place has been taken by unqualified opportunism. However blind wo may have :tried to be to the change that was coming over the Liberal Party, tho signs were too plain to be ignored, and the latest development simply forces it upon i our attention. By all the traditions of the party Mr Millar should have had :tho succession to tho leadership, and if Mr Millar was disqualified for any reason, there-were still half a dozen stalwarts who have been faithful to Liberalism, any one of whom could safely h'ftye been chosen to lead. But it is

prdcf of the change that the leadership .has fallen to the lot of a politician who was ranged against Ballance in the great fight of twenty years ago, and whose attachment to the Liberal Party is a matter of a few years. There is a grim sort of irony in the fact that Mr Millar was rejected mainly because Labour disliked- him. The man who was .in the forefront of the greatest strike find the greatest labour struggle that New Zealand has ever known, is turned down by Labour itself, and a man who was absolutely identified with the old Conservativism is preferred. We can imagine Mr Millar's feelings and the feelings of the tried and loyal Liberals of the old Echool at this strange outcome of all tho strivings, The pity of it is that the sacrifice of the party's traditions will almost certainly be in vain. Tho solo purpose to be served by the choico of Mr Mackenzie was the conciliation of the Labour and Independent members, but oven if three or four votes have been secured for the time being, this gain may easily be counteracted by the loss of three or four more valuable, because more reliable, votes. We may be unduly pessimistic, of course, but at the moment it looks as though all the tact and all the energies of the leaders would bo needed, to prevent the disruption of the party. Whatever the future may have in store, we may be sure that tho old Liberal party is dead. A term has been put to the great movement that Ballance arid his colleagues originated. What we must hope for now is tho initiation of a new movement, tho opening of a new chapter of progress. Out of the present confusion there ivill come order, of course, but Liberftlism will have to suffer if it is to bo purified and invigorated, and the progressives will have to be prepared to drop some of the equivocal support which it has been, so anxious of late to conciliate. Everything depends now

on the leader. Mr Mackenzie's political faith will be put speedily to the "-.' test. He has the knowledge, the ability and the courage to frame a strong progressive programme, but the circumstances of his election may persuade him that it would he profitable to conciliat© and to temporise. We trust that he will not make that blunder. Nothing will serve now but a firm determination to carry through a policy of constitutional and social progress. The surest way to win support is to command it, and we would rather eee Liberalism daring the opposition of Labour than begging it to name its terms. We are afraid that the Liberal Party will not find salvation until it has experienced the unifving and soultesting trials and tribulations- of a period in opposition, but wo shall be the first to applaud Mr Mackenzie if he proves us wrong.