The Star. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1913. REFORMERS AT LARGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10680, 29 January 1913, Page 4

The Star. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1913. REFORMERS AT LARGE.

" Save me from my friends" might j well have been exclaimed by Mr J. D. Hall when he read tho report of tho proceedings in connection with tho farewell social to ono of, tho Reform stalwarts of Christchurch North on Monday evening, for moro one speaker went out of his way to infer that had tha Reformers run a candidate other than Mr Hall tho result of tho election held fourteen months ago might have been different. Indeed, Mr Needham stated without any circumlocution that there was no seat which he would more prefer to contest than North Christchurch. This is distinctly funny, and shows what a veritable Colossus Mr Needham is in his own estimation. Apparently we have had in our midst for some time a politician of the calibre of Pitt without having been R\var£ of tho fact. Perhaps Mr Needham's infant prayer was " Lord, gae us a guid conceit o' oorsels," and, if so, lie cannot complain that that prayer has remained unanswered. Who, th© other and stronger candidate might ho whom the orators had in their minds they refrained from mentioning, but possibly it was either Mr Needham, Mr Hoare or Mr Jones. At these functions self-adulation is frequently carried far, but it was preposterous presumption on the part of any of the gentlemen present at the gathering—which it may b© mentioned was a very small one —to imagine that any of them, would- have acquitted himself better .than Mr Hall. Indeed, wo might go further and. say.that Mr Hall bears a name which carries respect throughout the dominion, and none of the so-called stronger men would have come within seein'g distance of Mr Hall's total. Mr Hall, at the request of the then Opposition party—for it must bo remem- j hered that he would not consent j to give his political conscience into Mr Massey's keeping—undertook an impossible task at groat personal inconvenience)' and sacrifice, and it is grossly unfair to infer that lie was not the strongest man tho party could find. When Mr Hair failed in .North Christchurch any man carrying tho same besmirched banner would have failed, since the electorate is distinctly progressive. It is a straugo instance of the logic of the Conservative party that Mr Isitt's position is so strong that he \vas able, almost without, an effort, and certainly without extending himself, to slay the Conservative Goliath, although the term "weak" is invariably coupled with his name by the Conservative Press and speakers. If Mr lsitt is a " weak " man, why are tho Conservatives making such a noiseabout him; why are all their poisoned arrows aimed at him; why is ho singled out for the invectives of all the Reform orators? Because he is not "ivou!;,'' but strong, bold, r.hki and virile- -r ml they know it. Tho high aims and ."u-.v.'s of tho Reformers wero referred to in vague and indefinite language, but. strangely enough, no reference w>is made to the " ugly land transaru'o ; ' for which Southland has gained an unenviable notoriety, and for which' the slipshod legislation of the Reformers is entirely responsible, since the Ministers were warned—amongst others by the "weak" member for North Christchurch—of the inevitable consequences of a piece of legislation put through the Houso at the behest of the " fat man." Perhaps they realised that on a matter of that kind silence was golden. Wo can e-T i'.v imagine what would havo been said had a Liberal Government sullied its fair fame in a similar manner. Messrs Needham, Jones, Hoare, and all the other satellites of the party would havo placed wet towels round their perspiring foreheads and searched the dictionary from A to Z for strong, lurid invectives to throw at the wicked Liberals. But what is a vice in the ease of the Liberals becomes a virtue in the case of the Tories. Of course, this is peculiar logic, but it is quite in keeping with tho party's everyday actions.. The exigencies of a party which came into power as a result of ono of the grossest betrayals that ever disgraced the annals of a British possession may be such as to demand the sacrifice of truth and justice on tho part of its supporters, hut it is some satisfaction to know that tho adherence to Liberal principles does not make any such drastic demands on tho part of its members.