THE ASHBURTON ELECTION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1666, 19 September 1887, Page 3

THE ASHBURTON ELECTION.

TO THIS EDITOB. Sib, — In your report of Mr Keir's : tpeech at the nomination he says :— lc Mr ; Brick had introduced the question of : Home Rnle and of Education six years - ago, but these had nothing whatever to ! do with the present election." Then why did Mr Keir introduce them ? Mr Brick ' ■aid not a word about Home Rule on Friday last. In fact, the question of a block vote was first introduced by a friend (?) of Mr Pnrnell's m a letter to the "New ' Zealand Tablet," suggesting a pastoral from the Catholic Bishop m aid of Mr Purnell. Ihe Catholics do not, I believe, want a block vote — they want to exercise i their rights like the other voters Mr Keir further cays be is a thorough Freetrader, and calls Protection " bunkum " That may be, but it is best for this colony. Perhaps he has heard of Adam £mith, who : «*ays no country can be prosperous unless producer and consumer live side by side. Freetraders all argue on the assumption \ that the conditions which exist now will j always exist. A few cruisers preying on 1 English commerce would soon convert the ' cheapest market into the dearest What , then? Mr Purnell is also opposed to Protection, and points to the evidence of John Evane Brown as an authority, and he might also quote Mr Garrick'a nephew, but I will quote one at least as good, and I have no doubt infinitely better — the San FrancißCO "News Letter": — "In twenty years the product of coal has increased from 14,000,000 tons to 96,000,000. Iron ore increased from 900,000 tons to 8,000,000. The hands employed m working metals Increased from 53,000, oonanralng 1CC, 000,000 dollars worth ef material, and producing 280,000,000 dollars worth to 300,000 hands consuming 380,000,000 dollars worth of material, and producing yeatly 600,000,000 dollars worth of goods." With your permission, I will return to this sobjeot. I think ire have little cause to fear Protection. The editor ascribes this amnzing progress to a judicious tariff. Perhaps Mr Kt>lr would pronounce4his " bunkum." I will add one more extract. " Millions have been saved to the consumer ; hundreds of millions have gone to the wage earning class, a home market has been secured to the farmei, and, whilst everybody has been benefited and nobody hart, we have rapidly grown to the dimensions of a selfsustaining independent nation." Now, a few words about the anonymous slanderers. Is a man who correctly gives quotations from a newspaper article over a now dt plujnc a slanderer, while the writer of the article over no name is not a slanderer ? Are you a slanderer, Mr Editor, becaoee you do not put your name at the foot of your ai tides ? Is it — , "no case, abuse plaintiffs attorney 1" Oce word as regards the " Bosun." He hrs jait the same liberty as any other member, except that he has more to do. This applies to the House of Commons M well as to the House of Representatives. . I am, etc., Pbotection.