The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, The Morning New and The Echo. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1879.

Auckland Star, Volume X, Issue 2928, 2 September 1879, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, The Morning New and The Echo.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1879.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong tha needs resistance, For the future in the distance,

And the eood that wa can do.

We like free discussion, and think it unfortunate that both papers in Auckland have "been nominally on one side in politics, the more so that the " Herald's " half-hearted support was more likely to damn a cause than open enmity. It is very gratifying to us, therefore, to observe that after keeping the rail till the eve of the elections, our contemporary has hopped down on the side of wealth, and pitched tho people and their cause into the ditch. It was not for a moment doubtful that tho "power behind the throne" would bring this about, and no ono will regret that it has come now. But it is unworthy of even "a rat" to adopt disreputable subterfuges to malign those it once fawned on. If the " Herald " desires to maintain the semblance of independence and respect let it come out in an open, manly way, and not attempt to stab its leader in the dark, in the hope that the crime will not be detected. That, however, is what it has attempted in a leading article and lying paragraph inserted "by request" to-day bearing upon the Eden election. From the verbatim short-hand note taken by our reporter (a member of the " Hansard " staff) at the Whau meeting we give what actually took place between Mr Tole and Mr Bollard :—

Mr Bollard : If any measure is introduced by Mr Curtis, or any other person, giving the people denominational education, will you vote for it 2 Mr Tole : As long as I am the representative for this constituency I shall vote against it. Mr Bollard: Will you follow Grey in everything? Mr Tole : Well, I believe I would.

Mr Bollard : VVcll, suppose he should introduce a measure introducing denominational education, would you vote with him ?

Mr Tole ; I should not stultify the pledge I have given. lam prepared to follow him iv all measures of general policy, but would not stultify any distinct pledge. (Gheers.) 1 said in my speech I would keep my own conscientious views, but I will vote in deference to the views of my constituents.

We ask any candid person, after reading the above, whether the paragraph and article in the " Herald " to-day are not villainous lies coined for the purpose of deceiving the electors of Eden—of throwing dust in the eyes of those who look to our contemporary for the truth ? Our columns for years past testify whether this journal is a half-hearted friend of secular education. When the " Herald " was silent we took Mr Tole severely to task for his speech of the 4th of July, and we say unhesitatingly now that neither he nor his leader, Sir George Grey, would have anything but our strongest opposition and condemnation if we believed for one moment that the present National school system was in danger, or that tliey had any design upon it. But we say with equal force that Mr Tole's assurances, given in the only way that an honourable man could give them, are such as remove the education question completely out of the field iv tho Eden contest. Mr Tole is as implicitly to be relied upon as an upholder of the existing National system as Mr Whitaker, whose sincerity might bo doubted with quite as much reason after the introduction of his bill for prayer and Bible-reading in the public schools. We do not doubt, however, that Mr Whitaker has seen the imprudence of that proposal, and will stick to purely secular education, nor do we doubt that Mr Tole will do likewise as member for Eden. This red herring has been drawn about too long ; it stinks in the nostrils of the people, and those who think the Eden electors are to be hood-winked by it have about as high an estimate of their intelligence as Mr McOoll of Newmarket, who, while seconding Mr Whitaker's nomination, politely told the electors assembled that not more than twenty per cent, of them could sign their names except by a cross. We hate shams, and the education cry in Eden is a miserable sham. It is a matter for astonishment that Mr Whitaker did not drop it when he saw that Mr Tole was not too bigoted to defer his own opinions to those of the people who elect him as their representative. If Mr Whitaker's services in Parliament, and his general political principles aro not enough to secure him the confidence of the electors surely he does not believe that a miserable subterfuge, which depends for success upon an imaginary obtuseness of the electors, will succeed !We had intended to leave the issue in this contest with the electors and let the candidates fight their own battles, simply reporting them fully, but the aid of our doughty contemporary and specious misreporting and lying having been called to the rescue, we feel bound to put the issue before the electors fairly, leaving their judgment to decide. We do not ignore Mr Whitaker's personal ability, nor his usefulness as a member of the House. But Eden would be ungrateful if it forgot now (

what Mr Tole has done for it and the sunporters of Sir George Grey would stultify themselves and sell their principles and party if they threw Mr Tole overboard and voted for Mr Whitaker. That gentleman was secure for his seat in Waikato. We should have regarded it as an unwise act to attempt to oppose him there, and we believe there was no suohintehtion. His candidature for Eden was, as we asserted from the first, a mistake. If it was not actually designed with the idea of tricking Sir George Grey out of two seats it looked very like it. Either Mr. Joseph Newman or Mr Tayldr was heavy enough metal to try the " Independent " ticket. But the supporters of Mr Whitaker determined to cast the die, and they must not complain now that the people put upon it the only construction which it will bear. There is one question alone to be decided in Eden. It is not whether Mr Whitaker is a better representative than Mr Tole, but whether the people of the constituency desire to throw in their vote to expel Sir George Grey from office. While Mr Newman and Mr Taylor were in the field this Was not so distinctly the issue. Mr Whitaker voted to put Sir George Grey out of office a month ago. Ho tells the electors plainly that he will do so again. He is the most powerful opponent and rival tho Premier has in the House. What is the use of mincing matters. Neither the supporters of Sir George Grey nor of Mr Whitaker can blink the factit will be accepted throughout tho Colony—-the return of Mr Whitaker for Eden will be a deliberate slap in tho face by Auckland people to the Premier. If the electors of Eden want to give him that slap, why let thorn give it, and effectually, by voting for Mr Whitaker. It is much more manly to run straight, and we wish Mr Whitaker had staked his election on his personal claims and as an avowed opponent of tho Premier instead of running on a side issue. But whether ho does so or not, after Mr Tole's assurances, which are so full, explicit and unreserved that the electors must accept them, tho Education question will no longer serve as a stalking-horse. The attempt to create religious animosity is even worse than tho flaunting of tho Education Act. Arc wo, by tho tyranny of a majority, to return to tho days preceding 182!), and refuse to admit any Roman Catholic to Parliament—despite his plodges of faithfulness—simply on the ground that he is a Catholic 1 "if wo do, God help New Zealand and its boasted liberalism and liberty. Those who try this have mistaken the spirit of the age.