The Press. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1899. THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10522, 7 December 1899, Page 4

The Press. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1899. THE GENERAL ELECTION.

It Is always the unexpected that happens, \ wo are told, and that is especially the case with elections under the ballot. Few of our readers, •Wβ venture to say, will be altogether, prepared for the figures which we publish this morning as the result of the polling for the general election. The two great features are a heavy victory for the Government, and the crushing defeat of the prohibition party, both in the parliamentary election and the licensisg poll. Even the most sanguine among the Government party hardly anticipated such a large majority as Mr. will possess in the new JBTouse y "while the' extreme prohibitionists will undoubtedly feel that they have reaped a poor reward for the energetic campaign which they have been carrying on throughout the length and breadth of the colony ever since the last election. For ourselves -we have no hesitation in say* ing that we feel'deeply concerned at thY result: It shows that the public conscience in New Zealand is not yet roused to the importance of getting a pure government above every: other, consideration. It is' a reflection on the community that while a man like Mr. George Fisher should be elected for Wellington, and Mn Boderick McKenMe for Motueka, by a substantial majority, Mr. Scobie Mackenzie should be rejected for.Dunedin, and a statesman like Mr. Rolleston, of whom, constituency in the world might well feel proud, should be returned for Riccarton only by the aaarrow majority of nine. It is evident that two leading considerations have dominated the elections. There is no doubt that the prohibitionists succeeded in making it to a large extent a battle royal between themselves and the liquor party, and in the result they have been signally defeated. In some cases the political issues have been overshadowed and deflected by this crossrissue. We should say that there is little dqfcbfc the bitter ieeling aroused by the prohibitionists has a good deal to do with the return of Mr. George Fisher for Wellington, and the , fact that Mr W, W. Collins has headed the ; poll for Chiistohurch. At the same time it is «He to deny the fact that the Government • have received a considerable accession of strength. They ihave 'appealed to the cupidity of a" class instead of legislating for : the colony as ia whole. There is many a true : word epokeQ dn jest, a paragraph! culled < from an article professedly humorous which > appeared in a Ministerial journal just before" i the election.,, -was', not very far j from the murk. Mr. Dooley is supposed to -\ be speaking;.— , , ilv admaiustration, did ye say, ( Henneseyf An' how %)&d are ye? Sixbyfour is it. Yell be wantin' the pLnshun f'r ' y'rself an' the ould woman next. ;year, an' ) jye talk about pur-rity iv administration! . Take Lt f'nn mc, Henniesey, ye're cuttin , \ ] ye'er own thrawt. Lave pur-rity iv ad- • ministrati'.an to thdm as hasn't anything i better to taik about, an , vote f r th.' pinshun. The Old Age Pension, as it happens, was not in question, as the Opposition did not propose to interfere with it, but the prim ■■, ciple .insisted upon plainly was that the \ welfare of the colony as a .-.whole and such '■'. questions as ptirity of Government should '. be ignored, and that the main attention should be centred on class interests of a more or less personal and selfish kind. We. deplore these - faots, .and we regret exceedingly that the country as a whole should have agreed to condone the long series of offences committed by the present - Government during their term of office. =' Almost any one of these would probably* " have led to the prompt expulsion of an ' English Ministry which ventured to prove ' so untrue to ite trust. We shall not, howevet, give up Hope. We shall continue , to battle away for what we believe to be i the right, regardless of all consequences. :* The Opposition will go back to the new ;, House with diminished numbers, and vigi- j knt and active criticism of the Govern- ■ ment's policy and administration will be h more than ever essential in the true in- 3 terests of the colony at large. We believe ; that the Opposition will be faithful to their : duty;jand \re shall endeavour to be true '■; to ours. •]