THE SUGGESTED COALITION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2045, 23 November 1907, Page 1

THE SUGGESTED COALITION.

AN MEMBER'S

“Tho most awful nonsense imaginable,’' rcDilicd a well-known membei of tho Opposition .in answer to my question about the currently suggested coalition (says a- '\ uJh ° l correspondent of the Christchurch “Press”). "That is, 'in the sense m which peoplo are talking. I .there is -a coalition coining I veiny boliove, but most distinctly not a SVard-Massoy combination.’ “I have heard no other suggost“Of course not,” was the reply ito-. my remark that I had hoard no other suggested. “Our .good friends outside, who know 'more Tllan' jv.'e do, are doing now exactly whait they did a.t last general election — barking up tho wrong tree. Then, as you know, any. number of wealthy anon —merchants, bankers, .landowners —supported the Government. True, that same Government has never tired of asserting that the .Opposition were the accredited friends of those fat men whom...no. .true Liberal would .bo seen speaking to. Tile fact remains that Fat in largo quantities supported the .Government, upon the pjea which was manufactured,' in the .inner recesses of tho Government stronghold, that there was no alternative between Sodden and Taylor- If .there had been a. word of truth in such an allegation I myself would have stood' as an out-and-out Seddoni.te. Fij'> thor, if there had ever come a time when tho Taylor faction began to press the .other; there never has been an Opposition' since 1890 who would -not have gone almost bodily to the Seddon camp-. But the outside politician, who has never set foot in Wellington, invariably knows more about the inner history of polities than we do, and all -the really cunning men in the community vat-, eel for tho Government. You believe they did? Yes. Well, whr are they to-day? They have in the AYard-Laurenson alliance all the worst points of a Seddon-Taylo-r combination in an exaggerated form. They thought that the knowledge of their support, and the hope of its continuance, would steady the Govermiienit. Having realised the pure fatuity of such a belief, they are now inspiring certain people to suggest a coalition, in the belief that an infusion of Opposition -blood would have a similarly steadying influence, For the' sake of thus steadying matters they blithely suggest .that Mr. Massey shall become a sworn foe of the freehold form -of tenure, and in a -general sense the rest of us shall publicly brand ourselves as hypocrites by swallowing every priiicd-pio we have advocated during the .last fifteen years. “That -is the position,” continued tlio .member. "‘Sir Joseph Allard has made complete surrender ito .the Taylor-Laurenson school. To do him justice, I hardly fancy ho is aware of i.t. Even now I am certain that he could not- obtain 30 per cent, o.f full marks in any properly compiled examination paper on tho work of tho session. His speeches and answers to questions prove that incontestably. But- there it is, and ■lie is to be judged by wliat he has -done Aml_in._any case lie is by no means co aloscla DleT-to coin a word. When men, who him in fifty divisions on' 'land quCffirtions, explain why they cannot go with him in the fifty-first he calls them assassins, and invites them to join the Opposition. Now, that lis not the temperament to coalesce with a Massey.” “What coalition, then, do you predict?” . “One moment; bring all tills vague chatter down' to bedrock first. Any coalition must include three members, at least, of the Opposition. Ask tho coalition-mongers which three Ministers aro to be deposed.”

“Of course; but what do you predict?” “AA T ell, there are plenty of men now supporting the Government simply because they were returned to support the Government. Next election will see a different issue presented to the public, anil one tiling is certain —namely, that there will be a great change in the personnel of the House. After that, Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. Laurenson may claim the support of the so-called Independent Labor Party, but the coalition I expect to see will take place between men of moderate views who now sit on opposite sides. Tlio absolute impossibility of a AYard-Massey combination and the curious AYard-Laurenson-a nd-‘ ‘fat men” alliance will force .the other into existence. And this because the Moderates —the people ..in. between millionaireas and Socialists — will have impressed this view upon candidates.”