152 THE MURDER OF AGRICULTURE 



all other political sections, the Labour Party professes a 

 kind of Social and Parhamentary Ishmaelitism, and there 

 is not the toss of a coin between the lot of them. The 

 party out of power is truculent and swaggering. The 

 party in power is timid, weak and shrinking, and, be- 

 tween them all, national affairs suffer and the people are 

 the victims. 

 Patriotism Fundamentally, the " Party " system in Parliament is 

 not Party j-jgj^^ euough. Theoretically, it is sound. Practically, it is 

 unsound, because it engenders strife where there should 

 be harmony, and sets up contention where there should 

 be co-operation. It seriously hampers the efforts of the 

 paid representatives of the people — the office-bearers f 

 the Government — it blocks national work, impedes pro- 

 gress, and is an enemy of real reform. It strangles indivi- 

 dual effort and kills patriotism, and, take it all round, the 

 party system of our Parliament, which was intended to 

 be a blessing, has proved a veritable curse. 



No man wants to see it abolished, but the vast majo- 

 rity of Englishmen, recognising its abuses, wish for 

 drastic changes in its methods, so that public business 

 may be helped on and not retarded; so that the com- 

 monwealth may be benefited by co-operation and not 

 injured by shallow contention and petty jealousies. They 

 want to see whole-hearted support given to measures of 

 public good, and the spirit of patriotism rank before the 

 spirit of party. 



So long as the present state of affairs exists in our 

 national assembly, so long will national interests suffer. 



Let the two great political sections, the Liberals and 

 Liberal Unionists and the Conservatives unite over this 



