PLAIN WORDS FOR EXTREMISTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 17935, 31 July 1920, Page 5

PLAIN WORDS FOR EXTREMISTS

“BETRAYING DEMOCRACY.” -MR ISITT’S REPROOF. “In a country like this, where there is no reform, however extreme, that you cannot attain by constitutional methods as soon as you can persuade a majority of the people that the reform is needed, it is inexcusable that men should forsake constitutional methods and adopt the methods of Bolshevism,” said Mr L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) on I the House of Representatives on Thursday. Mr Isitt had been described from the Labour benches as an enemy of Labour, and in a brief but very pointed reply he told the House what he thought of the leaders of Labour. “They are continually betraying democracy,” he said. “The word ‘demecracy’ is continually on their lips, and nobody resents more keenly than they do any infringment of the rights they possess as citizens of this country. But whenever it suits them they throw aside their democratic principles and adopt the methods of autocracy. By their criminal silence in this House, and their utterances outside, they encourage working men to seek to dictate to the majority of the people of ihis country by direct action. Democracy goes to the wind when the other method [suits them.” Mr Isitt referred to the refusal of some seamen to allow the 'president of the Racing Conference to travel by steamer because they disagreed with some of his opinions. No word of protest against this violation of freedom and fair play had come from the Labour benches. • “The men who are adopting and encouraging methods of this kind are false to every principle of democracy, and so far from advancing the cause of Labour, they are,setting it back half a century.” continued MiIsitt/ “What about sabotage? Sabotage is going on in this country, directly encouraged by the men who dare call themselves the representatives of Labour, There is sabotage that is far more subtle than the action of the man who casts sand into | the power plant of a factory. Men who go through this country instilling into the fninds of the workers ; the idea that they serve their own interests by going slow and hindering production at a time when nothing but increased production can enable this country to face its financial difficulties, are indulging in sabotage of the very worst kind. I defy the Labour leaders to show that by encouraging direct action, by going •slow, by a policy of domination of (-he whole community by one narrowclass. they are serving the interests of Labour or of the country. . . . They tread underfoot the principle of government by the majority of the people, and by the encouragement of sympathetic strikes, by direct action, and by going slow, they try to bulldoze the whole community. , They are betraying Labour and misleading Labour.” "Mr Isitt predicted that the time would come when the workers, would realise that the extremist leaders had done them nothing but harm.