POLITICAL PROPHETS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 3147, 5 December 1893, Page 2

POLITICAL PROPHETS.

In these sceptical days, when ancient beliefs are no longer accepted unquestioningly but are brought to the severest test of critical investigation, when proof by facts or figures is de manded with the moat exacjbing ijisjstvJK;9 both as tP P©fl and things, wliea

there are those who deny that Shakespeare's plays were written by Shakespeare, and there are even those to be found who deny that the earth is a sphere, it is curious to note the coexistent phenomenon of the most intense credulity on the part of many hundreds of thousands of people. This is especially noticeable in matters of religion or appertaining to things spiritual as is evidenced by the absolute eagernes3 with which hosts of people accept any new doctrine, however outre or preposterous, and give in their adherence to teachers whose only credentials are their ignorance and impudence" This curious circumstance is perhaps best explained by Carlyle's cynicism that mankind are " mostly fools." It 1 has its exemplification also in the region of medicine, many a quack gathering in the shekels by heaps while the orthodox and duly qualified professional man looks on with an envy which is mingled with contempt. But if religious and medical quacks and religious and medical dupes abound, it may safely be said that political false prophets and their misled political disciples still more abound, and that in spite of the lessons of experience. " Experience teaches '* says the proverb, but there is a whole army of people of whom it is not true, and to whom all experience appeals in vain. Prior to and during the recent election contest we have had prophets, many prophesyiug the rout of the Liberal party and declaring before hand what would be the verdict ot this section of the electors and of that, and of all these predictions nine-tenths have been absolutely falsified by the results. Yet, wholly unabashed, numbers of these prophets are taking up their parable again and beginning to busy themselves with predictions as to what the newly elected Parliament will do during the session of 1894. They know all about it. They are cocksure of it. The Liberal party is to be split into two fragments, and its enemies are to be they of its own household. &ir Robert Stout is to declare war against Mr Seddon, and with the aid of the remnant of the Conservative party is to defeat him and to force upon the country the principles of the teetotal " Alliance." This bouleversemerit is to be helped on by the fatuous conduct of Mr Seddon himself, who is to aid his own downfall by calling to the Council tenor a dozen men without regard to their qualifications for senators, but merely as a reward for politi. tical services to his party; and the Premier is also with further fatuous folly to propound a borrowing and lending scheme upon unsound principles at the risk of the colony's credit. This is all cut and dried, and is therefore bound to happen. At least so say the prophets. But ther* is such a thing as reckoning without your host, and that is an operation which these very prophets have performed so often that they have become adepts in the process. The result which hag happened before i^, we venture to suggest, uncommonly likely to happen again, the prophets being once more " left." We ourselves do not indulge in anything so risky as political prophecy, and would merely remind these seers and their disciples that in politics it is nearly always the unexpected that happens.