THE MAN BEHIND THE BOGEY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 2, 11 January 1911, Page 44

THE MAN BEHIND THE BOGEY.

The protagonist of the Unionist party in this general election is not Mr. .Balfour, but Mr. J. L. Garvin, the able editor of the “Observer.” It » his striking articles, full of wild and whirling fury, that have given the lead to all the Tory papers and the Tory speeches throughout the country. Mr. F. E. Smith was, I believe, the first to raise the cry of “American dollars” when the leader of the Irish party returned from New York, but it was Mr, Garvin who ■Hade “Down with the Dollar Dictator” the battle-cry of the Unionists. As "Punch” said of him:—■ "Ilfs mien was tremendously solemn, Ilfs style was alert anil alive, AuU wbat others could say lu a column. He swelled Into five.”

Hits weekly articles in the “Observer” are terrific efforts of political rhetoric and vehemence. His opponents call him, not inaptly, the “dancing dervish” of politics; but Mr. Balfour himself is not above imitating the Garvin gibe at the “Dollar Dictator,” though he cannot do it in the Garvin manner. The best imitation of Mr. Garvin's style that I have seen is a dever parody in this week’s “Punch.” The subject, needlees to say, ie Mr. Redmond and his dollars:—< “The Dictator is here! He has arrived on these shores, the shores of this happy laud, this England, set in a silver sea, his pockets bulging with foreign gold, his trunks crammed with the ill-gotten dollars with which the enemies of this country (many of them Canadians) have loaded him. He lias come to buy’ up our England, to offer the gold of the foreigner in exchange for the liberties which our forefathers won for us. 'When once that fact is understands! of the people, is there one patriot who will not writhe in shame, is there one Englishman, however, lowly, who will not strike his breast and eay, 'While I have a breath to draw, this

thing shall not be'? Tell it out among the counties! Tell it out among the boroughs! Tell it in the public places! Tell it in the publie-houses! The Dictator is here with his dollars!

“ Two hundred thousand dollars! Think of it! For what purpose has the Dictator made this unprecedented journey to a foreign land and collected this stupendous, this unheard of sum (£40,000 in our money) from the sworn enemies of England, such as Sir Wilfrid • Laurier? For what purpose, I ask? Ah, we know well that there is only one purpose which can demand so colossal, so staggering an amount—an amount nearly as

much as some of our dukes can earn in a whole year! He has designs on England! He has come to purchase the Government!”

Joking apart, it is difficult to believe that an elector of any intelligence can lie taken in with this egregious “dollar” bogey that the Unionists are parading. Ireland has its grievances against the House of lairds, but so too have Scotland and Wales, and the Liberals and Labourites of England. They are just as anxious as Mr. Redmond to get fair play and a free field for their legislation. But a bogey- of some sort seems to be inseparable from Unionist electioneering. The German bogey, the Socialist bogey, and the Irish bogey’ are all old friends, paraded on many a political battle-field. The American dollar bogey is merely the latest addition to a menagerie of spooks. It seems a poor cry to go into battle with, anyhow.

Protectionist: Here! You can’t come in; this place is ours. Manufacturer to Farmer: But don’t let that worry you, I will give you the same goods—at only twice the cost.