SEDDON’S MANTLE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19433, 20 October 1925, Page 5

SEDDON’S MANTLE

LABOUR LEADER’S CLAIM

“TRAGIC IF IT WERE NOT HUMOROUS. ’ ’ The claim now being made by the Labour Leader that on his shoulders has fallen the mantle of Mr Seddon was ridiculed by Mr James Stewart, Reform candidate for Auckland East. Mr Stewart said he had the greatest admiration for the late Richard Seddon, and a sympathetic regard for Labour in the true sense of the word. But when members of Mr Seddon’s Party hooted tad hissed during the visit of the Duke of York, our present King, that cut the painter between Labour, as he knew it, and himself. He had known Mr Seddon personally, having been secretary of one of his branches of the Liberal-Labour Party, and he regarded him as a statesman among statesmen, whose name would go down to posterity -with honour. He could imagine Mr Seddon listening to tho words of splendid neutrality uttered by Mr Holland during the war period, and could see him bow his head in shame on hearing the Labour Leader aver tli’at the mantle of Seddon had fallen on his shoulders! If it were not so humorous, the idea would be tragic. It was an insult to Seddon that a man endorsing the sentiments of Bolsheviks and Socialists should make such a statement. There was no time when the people of this country were called upon more seriously to judge between i a strong, sound, stable Administration tad Bolshevism in its worst form. I “Had Mr Holland or any of his friends been true followers of that great statesman, would not the people of New Zealand, who loved Richard Seddon, have elected Mr Holland to carry on?” asked the candidate; “They would not do it. They could not do it. They did not do it. And they will not do it.” (Loud Applause).