THE MEMBER FOR ASHLEY.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11279, 21 May 1902, Page 5

THE MEMBER FOR ASHLEY.

<_ TO THE EDITOR. OF THE PRESS. Sir, —Some considerable time : ago th_ member for Ashley a political .address at View Bill, which, put briefly, waa somewhat tike this*. —The Premier was a great "and noble man, from what I could gather, only a degree or so below the angels. Tbe land policy was something wonderful. The freeho'.d 'tenure was an. abomination. On no consideration would our worthy member grant to Crown- tenants the right to purchase. The borrowing policy was—well, it was not altogether a borrowing policy, and was doing an immense amount of good. The surplus wai a genuine .surplus. How could the e'.ectors doubt it, when the Treasurer had said so? The country, thanks to the Government, was going and those who said otherwise were croakers and traitors to their country, if not worse. Someone haa the hardihood to ask if Mr Meredith thought that the Premier always told the truth, and our n_._nber, waxing virtuously indignant, said that he had never known tlie 'Premier to be anything bub- perfectly honest and straightforward. Indeed, he would rather 'take tbe Premier's word than many another man's oath. We poor 'benighted •"<_o_._£rvatrv_." went borne from that meeting almost convinced that, in opposing the Premier, we were doing a- good and noble man a gross in justice, and that the vengeance of heaven must sura y. sooner or later, fall upon us. The other evening, Mr Meredith ad dressed us again* - He has foiiiid out that he was utterly • mistaken in th_ Government. It _s corrupt and rotten to the core. The. land policy is as bad as it is -possible to make it. Under certain conditions. Mr Meredith would now grant Crown tenants the right to purchase. The borrowing policy is going to end in bankruptcy ; tlie surplus is not a surplus, but a deficit; and the Premier! Mr 'Meredith gave us a word,sketch of that individual, and the impression left on my mind is a very black, sinister personage, with cloven hoofs, tail, horns, etc. . We are going to the dogs • in fact, we have almost arrived there. We are also on the verge of a precipice, and really, if Mr Meredith had not stretched put his hand to check us in the nick of time, I fancy that we would, ere now, bave topped over. It is true the Premier and Mr Meredith had a little row, but that had nothing to do with his (Mr Meredith's) present attitude. Oh, no! It has taken the member for Ashley some ten or twelve years to find .__. this- out. Now, if another party got into power, they wouM possibly have Mr Meredith's support. They might be quite as corrupt and iniquitous aa he says the present party is. Still, I have »o doubt, t_i_.H___p_e, unsuspecting politician would go on supporting them for ten or twelve years before he found it out. Sir, Mr Meredith's last address left mc somewhat in a fog until T dropped across the term, "po'itical acrobat." Now, it seems clear to mc that be is going in for the acrobatio business. Rut, really, 1 thank someone shoutd warn him that it is dangerous _; for, should he persist in this wonderful somersault, that is part of ;hig perforaaance, I feel sure th.*- in lof his previous experience in this sort*"of thing, the result will be a nasty fall. Yours, etc., BUSH____N. ' — '■ "