The Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1895.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12122, 2 August 1895, Page 2

The Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1895.

" HYPOCRISY AND HUMBUG." M-t Frank La wry," the member for Parnell, is, if we are not mistaken, a renegade from tlie temperance ranks. And no man is so bitter and violent in his antagonisn to tlie cause he has deserted as the renegade. On Tuesday night, aftefr-Mr MoiSTab, Mr Seddon, and Sir Robert Stout had expressed themselves in most moderate language with re lgard to the provisions of the Licen : sing Bill introduced bg Mr Mel-Tab, and of the Bill about to be introduced ,by>the, Premier, ,Mr Lawry rose up in » fury and denounced both Mr ifcNab's bill and -the -Premier's bill as being the essence of "hypocrisy and '' humbug." "We should be doing the Premier an injustice if we were to condemn him upon the evidence of Mr Lawry. It is true that Mr Lawry has had exceptionable opportunities for studying the character of Mr Seddon. The member, for Parnell wtfs for n whole' session one of the two Government whips, and in that capacity was constantly brought into intimate relations with the Premier, and so should be able to sum him up better than most men. Bnt he has also, if we mistake not, had very good opportunities of judging of the genuineness of -the temperance adrocatas and of their public claims and professions. When, therefore, Mr Lawry applies tho terms " hypocrisy and -humbug " to the one and something equally offensive to the other, he cannot be excused as' one who speaks in ignorance of what he" is talking about. We should say that the answer to Mr Lawry is that he himself— speaking politically, of coarse— is the "hypo-, crite and humbug." Our readers, however, will probably be much more interested in hearing about the prospects of the proposed licensing legislation this session than in reading our comments on the tyrades of a member of Mr Prank Lawry's political insignificance. Mr McNab's bill, then, is the measure approved by the temperance bodies of New Zealand— that is, it is approved by a majority of the representatives of such bodies. It is the bill which Mr Seddon told the temperance deputation who recently waited upon him in Wellington he wonld not take np, and which, furthermore, he would not afford opportunities for passing. Many of the temperance leaders, a^e, Iwe know, greatly angered at Mr Seddon's opposition to their bill. We are not. We do not think the Premier conld be expected to take up a bill, as a Government measure, of some of the leading principles oi which he does not approve. What the temperance people have a right to expect is, that the Government will bring in a bill to fnrther deal with the licensing question — and that Mr Seddon has promised to do. It may perhaps be argued farther that Mr Seddon having so determined, the temperance people should withdraw their bill, and not have the time of Parliament taken up with discussing the details of two. bills on the same subject, to the danger of both, in so far as getting them passed into law is concerned. The unfortunate thing is that the temperance people cannot afford to trust Mr Seddon. Tliey have trusted him beforo, and have been "sold." They do not -mean to be sold again. Of course they will not get their bill through ; Mr Seddon, with his majority, can prevent (.hat. But, even if he does so, he will not gnd it oasy to shirk going on with his own bill. So many of his own supporters 'arp sp stubbornly in earnest about this temperance - 'question, that he dare .not treat it with contempt. He must affect to recognise the importance of dealing with it, .whether he feels it or not. Why, Mr McNab, the member for Mataura, who is in charge ,of (tho temperance people's bill, is not an unbe-ieviugOpposion-ist; he is a steady and straightfijrward Goyerarnejit supporter, bu' in

i ji b~_A. .f.^. »_^*^*_.._'.^.fri4r''3.**^-'n>>.-.*^ K "-'■ -** ,r- --„.,-.^ . . . - tompprance matters he doea nofc, he cannot, trust the leader oi hi. own party," tke Premier of the colony. _, In a matter that is very dear to their hearts a considerable number of-M. Seddon's most loyal supporters believe that, if he dared, or if he could manage it without being detected, he would sell them as soon as look at them. This is why Mr SloN"ab, and those who are working with- him,are determined to press their bill as far as tkey can. They have come to the conclusion that, if the Premier blocks their bill, he will not be able to' get ont of going on with his own bill. We do not trust Mr Seddon any more than the prohibitionist members of his own party do, but wn are strongly inclined to think that he will redeem his pledge this «es- . sion. Nofc because he is in sympathy even with the provisions of his own bill, but because he is most «j>xiou» to remove a dangerous question out of the way before tbo genoral elec-. tions come round. If Mr Seddon fails to get a fairly acceptable measure passed before the members have again to face their constituents, he will plainly find the whole united prohibitionist force against him. That would simply mean the sweeping away of his present majority in the House. It can well be imagined that he does not want to risk anything of that kind. Consequently he may, we think, be depended npon to try to get the vexed question settled somehow. What he will' probably do will be to try and get a measure passed that will keep him sweet with both prohibitionists and publicans. He does not care a jot for either in reality, and he isjkeen enongh to see that both are forces that cannot be despised in elections. We are curious to see Mr Seddon's bill, because it may be supposed that it has. been framed with a view to securing a Government majority in its favour, and its lines will therefore be the lines on which the next local option" and prohibition polls will ba taken. [Since the above was in type we have seen a summary of the Government Licensing Bill in the .New Zealand Times, which we have reproduced in another column. We reserve our comments until the Bill itself is before us.] *■ ' * ' ' * ,