THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8108, 31 March 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1906.

What has been spoken and written in regard to "the new factor in national life io England," viz., the Labour Party, would fill many books. To some men, however, it is given to speak from the heart and to the heart of men. Suoh an utterance, we venture the opinion, is that of the Bishop of Stepney, Dr. Cosmo Lang, who is regarded by some as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, wheu delivering an address on certain aspeots of the recent British elections. We have read mauy opinions—olever, pedan-

tie, analytical, and superficial—upon the "viotory" of the British Labour Party, but we have perused nothing that seemed to us to put the position more clearly than the words of the Bishop referred to. Inter alia, bis Lordship remarked"When the curtain has riseu upou a play you bave|noticed amid the first trivial incidents the entry of sor»» character wbioh at once, by h sort of dramatic instinct you have felt to carry with bim tbe issues of the future of the drama. Even so, as the curtain haß ariuen upou tbe world-wide drama of the twentieth century, we have already seen the entry of powers and' forces about which w.e feel l certain that the great issues of the future depend upon them. In the Far East we have seen' a nation, our island ally of Japan,, which Last century had scarcely emerged from, tbe dark ages, facing a great future withs astonishing enterprise and keenness-' and l patriotic spirit, claiming with no empty boast that it must be regarded' at one of the Great Powers of the world 1 . The curtain haw risen upon' Russia' in the throes of a great agony. The flirst scenes have been; marked 1 by riot and l bloodshed; for a moment the actors are pausing, gasping' for bveatb;: but we know that & nww power has entered which' cannot be' withstood—the power of the Deoplb;. H'ere at Home the cur - tain has risen' upon a great trial of the people's judgment. We have pasded'through a memorable' general l election —one which, if we mistake not, will be regarded by the historian as marking a new and 1 critical stage in l tbe life of our nation. What makes' the contest i memorable' is the entry upon the' stage of our political history of a new power—the power of labour, united',, conscious of its ! strength; The great dumb mass of our working folk—the "hands" of our- huge industrial 1 machine, the' dwellers in mean struts aud crowded' tenements—has lound its voioe; if has exerted its olaims. With what spirit shall we- watub the entry of this new and fateful power? Certainly with: intense interest: doubtless, with some anxiety, but ] surely,, also,, with faith and hope; Are there not grounds foe this- hopeful spirit?' i'ai the-first it is something surely for which to thank God for |,the past and take ocurage for tbe future, that this new power should have made its way to tbe front,, not bystraggleor violence,, but by the quiet and orderly use of constitutional rights. The force which in other countries is watched with suspicion by police, and sometimes dragooned by armed band?,, has walked l quietly into the polling booth aucl recorded its l rote. Our aneient Constitution,, kept flexible by its- inherent spirit of freedom, has simply opened itself out to receive the newcomer within its hospitable trust. We can begin tbe new century with its renewed and thankful' faith in the stability of our national life. Secondly, tbe entry of the new power guarantees that resolute efforts will be made to better the social conditions of the people. Here are aaen who have worked in pit and faotory, whose friends are among the dwellers in , our over-crowded oities, whose kindred have spent their old age in our workhouses. These men will bring at least first-hand knowledge of the facts to tbe study of these problems. They will take care that amid all the business of politics, 'the poor shall not be forgotten, and the patient abiding of the meek shall not perish forever.' Thirdly, th-nre is something hopeful in this sign of the energy and purpose of labouring folk. There is hope and promise in this rising of a defcermiation to be up and doing. The new tide comes in fresh from tbe great heaving sea of human toil, with tbe salt of struggle and sacrifice within it; and in spite of all its possible blunders, tbe coming in of such a tide must surely bring something of cleansing and strengthening to our national life. Of course, we must expect that there will be mistakes. There will be times, no doubt, of much anxiety; but, after all, to educate the new power there is no schoul like the school of experience. It is only the attempt to legislate which will teaoh men the limits of legislation. It is only contact with the larger issues of Imperial, politios which will give the larger outlook. It is onl£ the use of'power that can teaoh its responsibility. And behind all surely, we may keep an inexhaustible faith in the qualities off English commonsense and fair-plßy. Therefore it is that, in spite—nay, in view—of all possible anxieties, we can dare to say to the new power whioh enters upon the stage of our national life, 'Welcome! aud God be with you!' "