The San Francisco call., 1906-06-15
RICHARD seldom.

At the zenith of his power on the
eve of the first session of a Parliament.
ffty-efght of whose eighty : members
were his sworn followers his oft ex--
pressed wish to die IN ms country
service granted, Richard Seldom. for
thirteen consecutive years shaper OF
New ZeaIands destinies. undisputed
head of six consecutive ministries, has
been called to the Great Beyond
Never in the history of any British
self-governing colony. probably or any
section of modern democracy has a
statesman so wholly won the confidence
of a people. In his farsightedness ana
great force OF character lay dououeSS.
in large measure. the secret OF thaC
power which. despite comparative II
literac.y. made Seldom for thirteen years
the virtual dictator of New AealSiiu
OF greater import than these tmhSs'
however. were his qualities or nedFt'
his sympathy with the poor and suner-
ing. his Geniality. his fellowship.
his LOYALTY to the friends or the days
of his obscurity. Therein lay the IedI
source of his sway, and therefore ~ 10
that today New Zealanders az nOiilS o-
in whatever corner OF the globe thelr
lot NAV be cast will feel each In MS
heart the sorrow begotten at once oA
a national and a personal bereavement
To proceed to affirm that SeddOn was
the product of the time in which ne
lived; that the social legislation VII
which his name is identified was. gen.
ara1Iv sneakinr. the inevitable express
sion of the heart and mind ana Will
of a people through whose moral anu
mental fiber had percolated VIII
minimum of resistance the cdtuOL
principles of our CIVILIZATION = ~
restate a fundamental truth For pc
couse vested interests were less hrmly
installed and Albservience 10 custom
Iess pronounced, because OF these thihSS
New Zealand more easily than other
sections of the British race aSsliillidtOA
the sIow-naturing preccpts OF ueIioe
racy And to interpret her stru usSiie
consciousness and give expression -
ber inarticulate wishes man was
,eadad n man 6f wide sympathies and
intuition The man was at hand- Irau-
uaIIv under his guidance and urec
tion there evolved those statutes WniolA
have placed New Zealand. from q IesiS
latIye standpoint in the van OF ueino
racy. First came the complexion Oi ~
vsrsal and equal adult suHrase' -S anu -
lowing this old age pensions, popular
oon+roI of the Hquor traffic. the land
IeoisIation. which has substituted close
sa1+Iarnent for big estates; proNlSlOh
for advancing cheap money 10 -.
state fire insurance. and the IoHS
of laws passed more directly IN .no
;+srasts of labor. Nevertheless, al
tLonsb the deceased statesman : rear
relation to this phase in the socld, socldl "
veIonment of the country he served
with such devotion was, IN d SeaiSe, - 80
Incidental one. these enactmeh'S
remain. and rightly. an enduring mono-
ment to his memory
Zealandia mourns;
Her Greatest 1ieth dead
And so she mournS-
AZ z1l,u wToneht for the oppressed and poor
Discerning we'll
man
Was not OF gold;
That toll is noble. and the labOrer ioC
Ne'er meant by God above to De er-
cast
And robbed of sunshine by Unsuitable
lust for gain
And so he wrought.
And won
The heartfelt thanks OF thousands
scorn of none.
Zealandia mourns;
Her Greatest lieth dead
FRED s THOMPSON