Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit MONDAY, OCTOBER 1914. THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8965, 12 October 1914, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit MONDAY, OCTOBER 1914. THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

> , It iiiay.be merely U coincidence that -'only from Opposition sources has the announcement beenl made that the coming* election campaign will be "the bitterest on record".,; but seeing, that the party's official organiser (Mr Denneby) has made a statement to that effect, there niay ; be some warrant for believing Ah'at the Opposition intends ■to ■ conduct the 'campaign with fire and sword. A Mr Hawkins, who is announced as the Opposition candidate for Stratford, is also recorded as stating that the fight was going to be a very bitter one. This gentleman may be remembered as ;the very choleric member for Pahiatua a few years _ago,;.with a quite exceptional gift for the tv quoque style of argument. It may be that neither Mr Hawkins nor Mr Dennehy has s the authority of the Opposition for'committing it to a policy of vindictiveness, and, in the interests of the party, its leaders should. take immediate steps to ■correct' the impression created by these indiscreet supporters. .Coming 1 to the matter of the statement,.there is no apparent reason why the election this year should not be more than usually free from recriminating incidents. With the exception of two or three newspapers that make a fetish of partyy and will not admit that any action of the other side,could possibly be the result of .honest conviction, there are no elements, of discord. The public are not concerned with the quarrels of the politicians." Some of the subjects that engross the attention of members of Parliament, and give rise to the most bitter controversies, are, at the best, of doubtful utility from the public point: of view, and to carry these to the election platforms will be to display a peculiar conception of what a politician's duty consists of. If these were normal times, it would be a matter for little comment that the sins of the Government and the shortcomings of -the Opposition should be blazoned! from the hustings, with whispers of scandal and a promise of dire revelations. But these are notj normal times. All shades of politics agreed,, some weeks ago, to call a truce to the bickering j and Hostility that was becoming a{ daily feature of Parliamentary proceedings. For a time, this truce was observed, outwardly, at least, by the politicians; but the public have adhered sturdily to the unwritten compact, and until j the candidates intlamo them they! are noiilikely to find cause for aj departure from a .thoroughly 'Sen-J sible attitude. What either side-j has to gain by importing bitterness into the campaig'in.iCanUot be | : even guessed at. ■ The* fact 1 of the , matter iss that of bite years a variety of politicians laa.s .succeed--; ed in securing., election mafmy by virtue <of the art ■ of declamation, wJiidkt appeals 1,0, so many > voters who .love a loud voice and a promise of " stming things up." Thess? are flu^ -iiidiyidiials , who find rt.% election:' <;ampaign i. dull unless there in' iau oppor- \ tunity of ;marking some charge. i| against one of the leading politi■>cul i)<»rties, aii^S of involving in. n'he charge eithecr the personal or political imputation -of prominent nwn of tlio party. Such -tactics arc- evidences of absolute "bank■ruj'/itcy h) the mstfrter of a sane and relevant review of subjects that count, and should ensure promsi* _ retr'i'fcution. ■ But the world :is fashioned o« lines tltat make a scandal the choicest of i morsels, and so these*, political scavengers are accorded a.-promi-. nence wlii'ch tlieir wares do not iii the le'Aht. entitle them to.