FREE SPEECH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11028, 17 March 1914, Page 4

FREE SPEECH.

Theoretically everybody is in favour of the "Briton's prerogative" of free Speech. Unfortunately most of us stipulate, that this divine right shall be reserved ■ for the side of politics to which we happen to bo attached. It is very hard then to. determine what a uewspaper means .when it applauds all " organised protest " or " an expression ot resentment" or when it denounces the " dastardly doings oi a disorganised rabble," unless we happen to know the precise colour of tho editorial spectacles. There have been two serious interruptions of free speech within the past day or two. In the one case Mr Fisher was prevented from addressing his constituents; in the other the Prime Minister suffered interruption at Nelson. In neither case can tho conduct of the aggressors be. justified. Mr Fisher's opponents and his friends behaved like a rabble of excited Chinese; Mr Atmore made an unmannerly interruption of a leading public man who was a visitor to his. electorate and who should therefore have been treated with exemplary courtesy, no matter how extraordinary his line of argument might have been. It is of no use to quote instances of audiences which hooted Sir Joseph Ward or any other person as a .justification for these proceedings. Howling in any case is ji'o argument. It is a symptom of insanity. , i