The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1887. POLITICAL WEATHERCOCKS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1667, 20 September 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1887. POLITICAL WEATHERCOCKS.

It is amusing to notice with what amazing facility candidates for Parliamentary honors can assume a change of front. It almost passes belief that a politician that has the slightest regard for consistency should at one time denounce a party leader, and at a subsequent election come out m the interest of that same party leader, but such instances are by no means rare. We have a notable one m the case of Mr Purnell, who is now wooing the sweet voices of the electors of Ashburton. In 1881, Mr Purnell speaking at Rajkaia on the 29th October, is reported to have said. — "From a political point of view the Ministry appeared to have no back bone and no distinct policy of their own. » , . ; They announced a deficiency of at the end of the financial year. The next year a deficiency of had to be met. . . . Retrenchment was not a proceeding which commended itself to Major Atkinson's mind. Had Major Atkinson been allowed his own way, additional taxation to the extent °f ;£ 2 5°? OO ° would have been imposed." Then again on November 3oth, we find Mr Purnell saying — •' Had Major Atkinson be2n allowed his own way the colony would have been paying a quarter ot a million more taxation than it is doing." Now it is scarcely credible that a candidate who m 188 1 said such bitter words of Major Atkinson should novjr be fighting the battle of the Opposition of which party the Major is the recognised leader, yet such is the case. Mr Purnell is now seeking to commit the colony to the tender mercies of Major Atkinson's party, although m 1881 he declared that retrenchment was not a proceeding that commended itself to Major Atkinson's mind. Major Atkinson's extravagant administration is too well known to need further comment. Mr Purnell was quite aware of it, when m 1881 he denounced it m such strong term?, and yet m 1887 he wants to see the Government banded over to the Atkinson p aity. We ask the electors to bear m mind Mr Purnell's words, "if Major Atkinson had been allowed bis own way the colony would now have been paving a quarter of a million more taxation than it is doing." The words should be remembered on Monday next, and we trust they will.