CONSERVATIVE AND LIBERAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXV, Issue 11754, 18 August 1913, Page 5

CONSERVATIVE AND LIBERAL.

[To the Editor.]

Sir, —in your leader of August 16th, under the above heaellines, you would make Liberals believe that Political Liberalism is a political farce, and a despotism to be abhorred. The broad question of Conservatism and Liberalism and their meaning, would certainly take a long time, anel many sheets of foolscap, on which to pen the answer. In a few* words in the latter portion of your leader, you havo summed up Liberalism, as you (md it in New Zealand. Personally, I think it passed away from these shores when the late lion". R. J. Seddon gave up the reins of Government. "' <>"c desired to understand Liberalism up-to-date, one must look at the doings of the great Liberal statesmen in Great Britain at the present time. 1 refer to the Hem. Premier. Mr Asepiith. the Hon. Air Lloyd-George, anil their political party." Liberalism to them is the upholding of the integrity of the British nation, the lifting of the great mass of human beings on to a higher level, to make life worth living, and to drag the poor and down-troelden out of the mire ami clay of destitution, in which the Tories or Conservatives have for so long successfully kept them groping. In doing this' we can say to the Liberal Party —sic vos non vobis—and what you have done for the cause of Liberalism you have done,—Sans peur, sans

reproche

Conservatism is but, caput mortuum, of Toryism, and to go back in history one finds the meaning of Tory to be an Irish brigand. You state that Liberalism stands for "constant change." Liberalism never changed its name with the exception of from Whig to Liberal, but how many times have the Tories changed their name to try and make it palatable? T believe that while the Liberals were in power here in New Zealand —for about twenty years—it was the cry of the Conservatives to have a change, hence the continual cry of, "Do away with the Continuous Ministry." I will admit that tho Liberals want a change now.

There are a few Liberals in the Reform Party, but they must break the party bonds which bind them before they can be true Liberals. Then, with that great Liberal, the late Hon. R. J. Seddon, and with the present Liberal statesmen of Croat Britain, they can say: Veni, villi, vied.

If Liberalism is a family tradition then we must thank he;aven for this hereditary complaint, which has proved for so many years to be vox populi vox Dei. Thanking you for your valuable space,—l am, etc., AUDI ALTERAM PARTEM.