Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-25

Gus in New Zealand Oftentimes. when ad-
dressing public meetings canvassng for
votes. he was obliged to
Prove his doctrines orthodox
By apostolic blows and knocks"
New Zealanders are fond of telling how
he descended from the platform at one
rowdy meeting, walked through the yelling
crowd up to a couple of the ringleaders,
seized one with each hand, dragged them
from their seats. kicking and fighting, and
threw them downstairs. without anybody's
help. Then he went back to the platform
and calmly finished his speech amid re-
spectful silence.
Seldom soon became recognized as one of
the strongest men of the radical party.
When Premier Balance. able leader of
that party, died in 1893. everybody said
there no one who could succeed him
and hold the party together as he had done.
But Seldom stepped into the vacant place
and soon led the radicals to such triumphs
as they had never dreamed of under Bal
lance. Since 1898 he has been prime minis
ter of New Zealand. Last November his
party was again returned to power by
large majority. which will keep him at the
helm until the end of 1900. But he is not
only premier. He Is the lord high every
thing else of the colony-postmaster gem
eral, minister of labor, minister for native
affairs, minister for electric telegraphs,
colonial treasurer, etc. And for all these
numerous offices he only draws a salary OF
T. 900.
When Seldom and his colleagues came
lHlo power lIley determined, us one VI tlieIIl
has put it, to be Thoroughbred revolu-
tionists." Englands colonial statesmen.
as rule. try to copy English laws and
English institutions much as possible
Not Seldom. England" he is fond of
saying, can only teach us what to avoid
We must not allow our country to sink into
the condition of England"
His policy from the start has been to tax
the big landowners and capitalists out of
existence by the graduated taxation of land
and incomes, and to divide the land in
small lots among the people. His opponents
In the house of representatives said such a
course was opposed to English principles.
Il know that" retorted Seldom. In
England half the people who reach the age
of siXty-five also reach the poor house, and
In London one person out of five dies in
the workhouse, the hospital or the lunatc
asylum. Well may question the economic
and social system of which this is the
product! We want to establish our civiliza-
ton in this new land on a broader basis
in deeper sympathy for humanity"
Thus 1t is that New Zealand, under Sed
don's strenuous rule, has become the pet
state of socialists all over the world ard
the 'bete noir' of all conservative poll
ticians.
The Socialist Imperialist.
Seldom boasts that If he Is a socialist he
is also one of the stanchest of imperialists.
l. Is said that when the Boer war broke out
he was dissuaded with difficulty from Civ
himself Il commission ana gong 10 me
trent. His old fighting spirit. which had
lain dormant during years of statesman
ship, was reused; but he had to be content
with sending 6,ooO other New Zealanders
to South Africa.
He made a bad break by wanting to
send the Maories, and by advocating
sterner measures toward the Beers. The
Maories," he said. in a speech. know how
to conduct war and how to treat their
enemies. They don't trouble about making
prisoners
Seldom Is not content with having New
Zealand prosperous and practically indie
pendent nation. He wants to make 1t
empire with tributary states. With this
object in view. he has already annexed sew
eral islands in the eastern Pacific to New
Zealand, not to Great Britain; and he says
he Is going to annex others. until he builds
up his empire within the empire
But the achievement of which he is
proudest is the enforcement of the famous
arbitration and Cancellation act which has
done away with strikes and lockouts In
New Zealand.