A DISHONEST PROPAGANDA.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15992, 8 December 1919, Page 4

A DISHONEST PROPAGANDA.

The New Zealand Free Lance takes strong objection to the unfair partv propaganda which is being used by certain journals that support the Reform Tarty, and says; Three notorious offenders m this way arc the Otago Daily Times, the Christchurch Press and the Dominion. The Free Lance has ever maintained sn attitude of complete freedom from party ties, party prejudices, and party influences. In politics this journal is absolutely unfettered. In certainly cannot bo accused of holding any brief foy Sir Joseph Ward, certain of whose political actions—and inactions —it has at times adversely criticised as freely and outspokenly as have the accredited journalistic champions of the Reform Party. But the Free Lame ba« always recognised that “fair p!av in bonnie play,” and fair play is not what iSir Joseph "Ward is fust now' receiving from not a few prominent Reform candidates and from a section of the Reform press. It is, for instance, little short of flat and wilful misrepresentation to picture Sir Joseph Ward a« contemplating an alliance with the Red Fed section of Labour, in order to defeat Mr Massey and compass his expulsion from office and power. Sir Joseph, himself, and with him Mr Macdonald, Mr Wilford, and, again, only a couple of days ago, Mr Cf. W. Russell, has clearly and emphatically proclaimed his intention of scornfully refusing any aid or from Messrs Holland, Semple and in gaining and retaining political office and power. It is a moan distortion of the actual facts to insinuate, as the Dominion and some of il.cs contemporaries are doing every morning, that the Liberal leader is willing, nay anxious, first to oust Mr Massey from office, with the aid of the Red Feds: then to submit to 3ns policy bring dictated by flic Labour Extremists Sir Joseph Ward is, we honestly believe, the very last man in New Zealand to consent to gain and hold office on such degrading terms. For the .sake of political honesty and decency, to say nothing of that fair play which should lie accorded to every puplic man in a democratic community, let one Reform .contemporaries tease this subtle insinuation that Sir Joseph Ward and the Liberals would in any way pander to or make oven temporary and conditional common cause with tbo Revolutionary Socialist*!. The insinuation is not only an insult to those against whom it is directed, but to the electors at large. The Liberal Party, whatever its faults of omission and com-i-iissiou during its long period of power, has a splendid record of fine idealistic • effort and equally tine practical political achievement behind it. it is a perversion of the truth to paint it as being to-day the probable fool and creature of the very political elements which true Liberalism prevents from exercising a. mischievous influence in the State. The Reform Party may have a good claim to the respect and support of the people But the iusticc and force of that claim will nc-er be strengthened bv this unfair misrepresentation of the liberal loader and his policy which wo. fed It our duty, ns an independent journal, to expose and condemn. Let. al] Shades of papers and politicians play the game. ________