ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 278, 23 November 1893, Page 5

ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN.

POLITICAL POINTS.

AMHOOOH such demonstrations as that «hich took place in the City Hall yesterL afternoon are nob necessary to Sir fl/oree Grey to convince him of the warm rd w bich all classes in Auckland entertain towards him, yeb the reception he with could not have failed f be "ratifying to him. He was ff«rlv influenced by ib in his ..peech, isnhin many parts was as full of energy "he utterances of his early days. Lookn that crowd of faces turned towards '*.£ ° j remembering the confidence thab X reposed in him, the veteran forgot hia ■ * and with pardonable en.huy.ea a r' reC alled those actions which f lft9' inseparably connected birn with h early history of New Zealand. !satold them thab through many troubles £ had led them ; through revolutions and rs-'thrpugh times when tho heart was lorewed through reverses; when they rebut few in number, and whem they _a handly reckon on being alive ff , single day. In all these rations he had worked, and he asked Emifhebadled them triumphantly through I those days of difficulty and danger? Tho ontbusiastic applause which greeted ...words was answer em*; gh Pbß intimation of Sir George thab l,„ urta net assorted with other gentlemen in his candidature but stood alone, as a candidate of the citizen 3 of Auckland, was nob unex- '" ted. Sir George is entitled to support from "all classes of the community. Lone the notable things contained in Sir Peorce's sneech thore was one witb which most of us* will cordially agree. Wte refor to the enormous amount of spoken matter Led in election times under which, as he aid "Auckland i* now groaning." Aea'in Sir George has seb an excellent example-an example which it is be hoped many members will have the noura cre to follow—in declining to employ (07 committees or to canvass for votes. Ib Jy be said thatin Sir Co ore. c's case ib is easy to dispense wibh these aids, becatuse he is so widely known and so popular. So he is, tat nevertheless, the principle Sic George has'advocated is the righb one. Ibis the business of the people to find out the merits 0 f" those they send to Parliament, and they would take more pains to do so, too, did these come forward w Sir George Grey suggests. This is the las. speech the veteran statesman will make fcpfore the election. Ib was hardly necessity that he should have spoken ab all. We all know his views, and he knows the sentiments of all towards him. The memory of what he has clone in the past for Auckland makes any promises from his lips unnecessary. We require no assurances of his interest in us, and while we rejoice to see that ho, in his advanced age, was able to with such vigour, we do nob think that he need have imposed upon himself the labour ot speaking. ♦* * + *** * * The Knights of Labour are clearly " careless of the party cry thab wanders from bhe public good." "They have chosen the men whose name, shall stand on their political ticket, and they are the names of candidates of more than one shade of opinion. For Auckland City they have chosen Sir George Grey, Mr Tudehope and also Mr Napier. In Parnell, Mr Lawry is their man; in Waitemata, Mr Jackson Palmer; in Waikato. Hon. A. J, Cadman ; at Thame. Mr E. H. Taylor ; and at Waipa Mr G. Peacocke. So far, these are Liberal candidates who have commended themselves to the Knights as men mosb likely to I carry oub their views and advance the I interests of the labouring classes in Parliament. Bub the Knights, as we said, choose their candidates irrespective of party. Thus, in Franklin Mr Massey, a strong opponent of bhe Covernmenb, i. thoir chosen one. We will nob inquire into the wisdom of their preferring this gentleman to Major Harris. We should have thought, however, that Mr Massey's declared opinions would no. have met with much favour with the Knights. The remaining candidates on the ticket are Mr Harrison for Marsden, and Mr Vesey Stewarb for the Bay of Plenty. These gentlemen are both independents. *»* * * *» ♦ » Just the other day we hazarded a conjecture regarding the nature of the desire which the late Mr Ballance, on his deathy, may have expressed to Sir Robert Stout. We then said that in all probability the late Premier merely gave utterance to the wish thab his friend Sir Robert would "•enter Parliamenb and take a leading Pit in politics. The following very guarded letter from the Knighb of Inangahahimself, written in answer to a quests addressed by Mi*H. R. Jury, Secretary 'lib Political Reform Association of this j 3 "it", leads us to believe that we were nob j '''y far astray in our supposition :— j l"ellingtion, November 20th. Henry R. 1 toy, Esq., Secretary New Zealand Political Reform Association, Auckland : Heat Sir,—l have the honour to acknow'"■taceipt by to-day's mail of your letter I t!the»sth inst., requesting me to reply to I Por Association ac to the iate Mr Bal-. Imi wishes as to his successors. I have Ik toy that I do nob see how thab should ■flaenco the elecbion, and I do not think j^ question should be raised at present. I * timo will no doubb come when the \ "wli regarding my late friend's wishes | 'illbe saicl. Meanwhile yon will excuse I * answering your question.—Yours truly, I foUR- Stout. ■■I §. . * * * * ♦* * * II Tho turbulent and mischievous spirit ll*". used to bo and is still, we believe, ■ '■itacteristic of election campaigns in ■r* old country is still alivo in some parts ■ ?New Zealand. In Dur.edin the H'^itions of •'Aiild Reekie "tegarding ■ Proper methods of dealing with an un- ■ '.War candidate whon he is address1^ a meeting still flourish green. H^perfervid energy of their ancestors ra^'the electors of Otago's capital on these M?"ion8. Mr D. Niccol, a candidate for I ?"«din, learnt all this to his cost yesterff /evening when attempting bo address I electors bhere. Chickens, whose dell had been arrested while they I ffeyet in their shell?, flew through bhe j ?toßreeb the unpopular candidate when I:, 'Strove to convey his views. This I ry he considered so inauspicious, I yf i!l".v a9 lb was accompanied by iron I '■». that he desisted in hie efforts to conI J"* t'*c Political education of the free and I Vdont. * * * i Tl * * * * l^eHon. and "honest" John Bryce I Jj? Riven up policies as a trade is taking 1 1 pioneering as a pastime. He has no •Iter LDa of BfcancUnK a?ain for Parliament ]5 the shabby way Waipa treated him. .fiends there could nob get a decent ffiTnupfor him it will be remembered, ft./J 1* 18 acting as Parliamentary men tor to I,.JJ» of New Plymouth. Lasb nighb I, Wdregged a meeting of electors there. tkj * Vei'y largo meeting, and an eno,' a!t >cone too, and John had it all his IgJJV. He referred to hia former ki _ ? *■ to the questions of the day, injen he came to what was uppermost M*y_rt** Government of the day, Hedl Bnot 'tto the Government? I&eiifc Wnced r Seddon, rang in the old th«Go° Ub the "socialistic tendencies" of l| Wnment- an(i made a most PalPabl° Ijjg *»settlers' vote. The colony could 1.,, Prosperous under leasehold tenure %i c ure* The preaent prosperity he %"Wof or ignored. Before long he Winced the people would agitate

! for freehold, which the present Oppo* ' sition would gladly give them when they got into power. We do nob know whether the people of New Plymouth are particularly wanting freehold. Mr E. M. Si dth never said so and he is tbe mouth of i Now Plymouth. One piece of really good , advice Mr Bryce did give when he said that tbe electors should in selecting their member bear in mind thab honesty and mii tetrrity of character were most important requisites. They are indeed, bub experience . mighb have prompted him to add thab nob only should bhe candidabe be honest bub he musb nob be bhin skinned. 1•* » • # *» * * "Let us gather up the votes lying all around our path " seems to be the motto ot i several energetic members of some political , committees in Auckland. No man or , woman is sacred from these enthusiastic canvassers. Their latest field ia the restaurants where they are reported to be pleading tho cause of their favourite candidate with the waitresses between the courses of their dinners. Lately atone of our chief eating houses a gentleman waa overheard eliciting from a young lady who was supplying his inner man, what her intentions were with regard to tho coming electiona. She mentioned two candidates for whom she intended to vote. Oh, said the wily canvasser, with his sweetest smile, you piump for So-and-so, naming his candidate. Then he launched into persuasive talk, with the result that when he had finished his pudding the lady had given her promise to plump for Mr So-and-so. * « * ¥■ * * * » * Mr W. Shepherd Allen's address to the Parnell electors laet evening was not a very satisfactory o._e from the candidate's point of view. Tnose presenb were evidently chiefly Mr Frank Lawry's supporters, and it must hare been rather embarrassing to Mr Allen bo be interrupted in the middle of his tirade againsb the Government in general and the Premier in particular by spontaneous and enthusiastic cheers for Mr Seddon and Mr Frank Lawry. Ab bhe close of the meeting a motion of confidence and an amendment of no-confidence in Mr Allen were moved, bub the Chairman with the customary tactics of Opposition candidate.1 *' Chairman, loftily ignored the amendment, and declared the mobion carried, although only aboub onefvurth of bhose presenb voted in its favour. In the course of his speech, he denied various statements which had been circulated in regard to his candidature, and assured the electors that ho had no intention whatever of goini? back to England. ** * * *»* * * The habit which some Chairmen have of declaring a motion carried before they have ascertained if there is any amendment may arise out of ignorance of tho rules of public meetings, bub is, nevertheless, very embarrassing to a candidato. Mr Napier was pub in an awkward position yesterday at his meeting in St. Sepulchre's Schoolroom by his Chairman committing this unfortunate error. No sooner was a vote of thanks and confidence pub, and hands were held up in favour of it, than Mr Clark, the Chairman, withoub pubting the contrary question, declared tho motion carried. The consequence was that the value of the vote of thanks and confidence was reduced to a minimum. And, besides this, it does the candidate harm, for his enemies _t once say that an attempt was made to focus a favourable expression of opinion out of the meeting. » * • »*» * » * If rumour can be trusted, there is £250 to be obtained easily by some of our charitable institutions, or ab least the promise of that aoiounb. Bub rumour, with her hundred tongues, is very untrustworthy indeed. Are we to believe her or Mr Napier? Sho says that that gentleman has entered into a secret compact with the Catholics to secure them State aid for their schools. Mr Napier replies that rumour ia a false jade ; thab she is merely repeating a base calumny which the " New Zealand Herald " originated : and that he will forfeit bhe sum of £250 if anyone can prove his falsity. We should be sorry indeed that Mr Napier should in any way be a loser to the extent of £250 because of any rumour. Elections are cosily things withoub such losses. Bub we do nob honestly think thab there is the least chance of his forfeiting his money. We consider thab ib would be very hard for anyone to prove that Mj Napier entered into the compact. * # * Mr Tudehope's star has been in bhe ascendant ever eince it rose out of a very modest quarter of our political firmament, and we 6hall be very much surprised if he does not shine in the Parliamentary constellation on Tuesday night. He is a man of the people, in touch with all the aims and needs of the workers, and his speech of last nighb was an assurance that with practice and timo he will voice these aims and needs in a way that will ensure a hearing. The co-operative works have commended themselves to Mr Tudehope who would fain see ail public work done under this system. On this question of work Mr Tudehope naturally dwelt long, but, as will be seen ;by reference to his speech reporbed in our columns, be has looked into the questions which are agitating the electorates at presenb. On these questions wo do nob look to hear Mr Tudenopo discourse eloquently, but eloquence of the wordy kind we know the value of to a grain, and we know that when compared with good common sense I and honesty, it ia worth nothing at all. We will say one good thing for tho House lof Representatives. If a man has anything sensible to say he will be listened to in whatever garb he clothes bis thoughts. Good sense will nover lack appreciative listeners, though ib may nob be couched in Addisonian English. *** * * ** » * Parties appear to be protty much mixed in the election. Already tho Liberal and Nationalist bickebs have been published. To day, how_ver, cards were being circulated in town which solicited vote and interest for the following candidate*:—Sir George Groy, Mr Thomas Thompson and Mr W. Crowther. * * * An examination ot the list of candidates now in the Canterbury field shows that there are 43 candidates oub. Of bhese 24 are Governmenb supporbers, 12 are on the side of bhe Opposition, and 7 are Independent. Among the candidates there are eleven who are in favour of Direct Veto This is in striking contrast to tho stabe'of things in the Auckland province. Another still greater contrast Detween the Southern Province and our own ia in tho number or candidates in favour of denominaticnalism in schools. In Auckland we have nob one man so far as we know who has definitely decided against the present system oi educabion. In Canterbury bhey have eleven. *** * * *# * » Among the many suggestions for ascertaining the number of women who record their votes at the coming election is ono from a correspondenb that papers of two different colours might be used. Although no such device is necessary, as the Returning Officers can easily toll by the marked roll who have voted and their sex, the suggestion mighb he acted on 'in order to allow us to. knov,- as soon as the figures of the poll were declared what proportion of _ women had exercised their new righb. A very interesting piece of information would be an analysis of the female vobe showing what tollowing among bho ladies each political party could claim. Such an | analysis, however, could nob be obtained, j we foa;, without infringing the secrecy of j tbe ballot.