HOW THE SEDDON GOVERN MENT HAS FAILED.

West Coast Times, Issue 10424, 1 December 1896, Page 4

HOW THE SEDDON GOVERN MENT HAS FAILED.

A MASTERLY REVIEW

In its summary for the English mail the Otago Daily Times goes on to say : — It is now six years since the so-called Li-beral-Labor party Game into power, with the late Mr Ballance as .Premier. Mr Ballance died in April 1893, Mr Seddou succeeding to the Promiership and Mi Ward to the Treasurerahip ;and the gene r.-il election of November 1893 confirmed the Government in power. Roughly speaking. Ministers had a majorty of 30 in a House of 74 memners. The countr\ had thus endorsed the policy of 1891-93. That policy was two-fold. There wa* the new taxation and Labor policy, and there was the policy of financial self-re-liance and non-borrowing started by Sii Harry Atkinson and continued by the Ballaoce Government, not, perhaps," with absolute fidelity, but still adhered to in the main. Moreover, on the eve of the elections. Ministers reaffirmed their nonborrowing intentions. The Treasurer was specially emphatic, declaring that his Government did not believe in borrowing and had determined to carry on the busfuess of the country without having recourse to it. The country, as we^have said, gave the Government a large majority. Many people, and the majority of the newspapers of ' che colony, ourselves among the number, regretted the decision, tuiukiug that the electors had not sufficiently recognised the tendtneies of the general Ministerial policy ; but there was at least fche consolation of knowing that Ministers were pledged to political selfreliance. Confirmed in power, the Government threw their pledges to the winds. The long tale of borrowing need not be retold. Readers of this summary will renu-mber the object of Mr Ward's visit to London, and they hive heard of the fresh loan authorised during the last session. They also know some° thing 0? the other charges which have Ik en laid against Mr Seddon \s Governmonfc. The iJhbejjil and autocratic bejiring of the Premier ; his scarcely concealed contempt for the rights of Parliament and the law ; the errors of admiuistiatiou and legislation ; the pandering to class legislation—nil the spurious " Liberalism "of a Government which does not know what Liberalism means :— these things have been recouuted, in more or less detail, from month to month. This week tbe electors will be called upon to say whether they de»ire a continuation of this regime and whether they approve the way in which Ministers have broken their financial pledges. We shall venture no predictions. The size of the Ministerial majority in 1893 iu.ik.es the task of eh« Opposition exceedingly arduous. A large number of seat? must be won in order to turn the majority into the minority. Some people predict, that this end will be achieved, others that Ministers will hold thi-ir own ; again, others, that the Government will lose a number of seats and ,Ht secure the preponderance. The Piean t- is working hard. He has delivered si number of very long speeches m different parts of the country- speeches full ot tfre ud captandum and not too scrupulous artfulness' o't which he is a muster. | Both sides, indeed, are fairly active. It is, for tlje most part, a fight of cant and claptrap against principle and reason, and the issue should not be doubtful,— but cant and claptrap have gained the victory iv New Zealand, as elsewhere, bei'ore today. May principle and reason now prevail.