THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8158, 12 June 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1906.

No more startling intelligence could have been cabled to New Zealand's shores than that cable of yesterday announcing the deattfof the late Mr Seddon. The report almost aeemen to be utterly incredible, but farther messages made It only too clear that Mr Seddon had passed away, when he was, perhaps, in the very height of Ms most successful and strenuous political career. At auoh a time political opinions mast be forgotten. In thinking and speaking of any great statesman, we are prone to think of the man, of his abilities, of his qualities of heart and mind, rather than of the party to which he belonged, or whioh he may have formed. The late Premier of this colony was one of the most astute and oertainly the moat remarkable ! politician that there has ever been in the history of New Zer.land. His

•access, like the growth of the prosperity of the country daring the time which be held power, was phenomenal. His political victories were not so much the fruit of statesmanlike ability as the recognition by the people of this colony of his manliness of oharaoter and the,, warmth of affection which he had for his [fellow men and women, and the determination that ne possessed to do everything in his power which he believed would be for the benefit of the people. Those who have !been most fairly and direotly opposed to him have, probably, ad mired him most. The late Premier's great ability, and his masterfulness compelled the admiration of ell. We do not think Mr SSeddou was ever compared with Britain's most renowned statesman, William Ewart Gladstone, but we think it would not b8 out of place to describe him an "New Zealand's Gladstone." The immensity of the programme of the Liberal Party when Mr Seddun became the first Minister of this country, was saoh thot only one of the most intrepid and able of politicians oonid have carried out with any degree of sucoess. The work was too great for any one man, and, great and powerful as the late Mr Seddon was, there is no doubt that he greatly overtaxed his strength in the service of the people of this colonv. But his memory will ever be honoured in that he succeeded in laying most securely the foundation of Liberalism, or of an intellii gent democratic system of government in this country. The late Premier on more than one occasion stated that he would not retire from political life while he felt be could be of use to the oountry. Death found him busy in the preparaton of a statesmanlike work to promote the general interests of this country by improving our reciprocal reations with Australia. It is impossible to praise the truly great, and in the present circumstances any attempt of the kind would border on the impertinent. We can only bow before the decree of the Supreme Ruler with faith and confidence, knowing that our minds are finite and that our thoughts are simply human. The utmost sympathy will be felt throughout the colony for the bereaved relatives. To them, no doubt, the late Mr Seddon appealed not so much as an illustrious itatesman, but as an honoured but band and a revered father. In conclusion we may utter the wish that He who "nealeth the broken in heart" will give them strength to bear bravely the great affliction that has befallen them.