THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8651, 28 November 1893, Page 6

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

WHOLESALE BRIBERY. In these days, when electioneering seems to engross the whole time and thought of the community, it is amusing to an onlooker to see the number of candidates in the field, and to watch the endeavours of each to catch the vote of the ladies—God bless 'em—who have just received their political birthright. Everyone is confident he can spot the winners, or Bays he can; and if one chose he could win enough new hats during the next few weeks to tile him decently for the rest of his life. The ladies, they are the key-note thi. time. Look to your laurels ye vintners and victuallers. No Sunday trading will they tolerate; no, nor the wholesale supply of kerosene or painkiller in the whisky bottles to poor devils who have already had enough. No more shirts for sweaters at a "Colonial Robert" per dozen for the making. Other publichouses will be closed beside those closed for repairs, or others that don't pay. The women, the women, toujours les femme. They will be great regulators and adjusters of much that is now askew, but we can forgive 'em heartily if they will only let the Education Act alone, and go in hard and strong (sweet they always will be )for free and compulsory secular education. There a a sweet little cherub sitting up aloft watching over the destinies of the Waterbury man, and sometimes, not often, she sends him an inspiration. To make Waterbury capital out of politics, to steal an advertise season aud out of eeason, is his business* and " Bradder, the good work must go on." To present everybody who votes for A. B. and C with a new Waterbury was his first impulse. This was brilliant, but as everybody on the rolls, whether they voted for the candidates specified or their opponents, whether they voted at all, had any existence now or at any previous epoch, whether dead this two years or in eaol or at sea when the voting came off, would claim the reward, tho experiment would have been costly, very. Again, hostile lawyers, retained by unsuccessful candidates, and judges who invariably say nasty things, would have relieved him of the profits of the speculation (if any), or perhaps send him to ruminate where ample time in the intervals of oakum-picking or stove-breaking is graciously afforded for reflection. No, that would never do. New Zealand s a gambling country, my brother; as witness its totalisator, its arc unions in aid of charitable undertakings, and what not. "Eh, there's the rub, Petruccio." Let ns, therefore, in Home, do as Home does, and gamble on the coming elections. The inspiration therefore which came direct from the sweet little cherub aforesaid—not one of the newly enfranchised ones, mind you—is that the Waterbury Watch Company presents one of their new and handsome watches to the two ladies naming tbe three successful candidatesfor Christchurch City with thenearest number of votes recorded in favour of each. That is, to the girl or adult lady naming the three successful candidates., and whose guess at the number of votes, recorded by each is nearest the actual total polled, one of their new golden ladies' W aterbnry's will be presented, and to the lady who names the three successful candidates, and whose estimate of votes recorded by each is second ia its approximation to the actual result, one of their newsilver watches. These watches may be selected by the winners from stock held by Messrs E. Keece and Sons, of thi. city, and to them all letters must be mailed to arrive before noon of the day preceding the election, the envelope being marked on the outside " Waterbury competition." The names and addresses of the successful guessers will be published in the Chri_ tchnrch Press on the day following the declaration of the poll, and the competition is open to all New Zealand,