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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5676, 7 November 1889, Page 2

Pooe Bailanck ! He has not yet learned that silence is golden. When a man invents his facts, and then is made to feel ashamed of his statements, it is time for him to retire from the fields of politics. The political buccaneer who boldly robs his opponents of their reputation by barefaced falsehoods, and sticks through thick and thin to his lies, commands a certain amount of admiration. But the weakling who sneaks behind his foes to pick a pocket, and whon discovered, whines "I didn't do it," has reached the lowest depth of political poverty. Mr Ballance has been severely , hauled over the coals by his own party for stating in his speech at Napier that " he had heard on the best authority that the Railway Commissioners were going to reduce the wages, so that wages might be forced down" all over the colony. The Government had not the courage to do so, but the Kailway Commissioners had absolute power, and it was thought it could be done by them I safely." In the telegraphed report of his speech, his words wer«, "It had been divulged to him privately that Ministers had appointed the Kailway Commissioners to do what they dare not do themselves— reduce the rate of wages." Such an outrageous statement has naturally evoked a storm of indignation from all political sides, and Mr Ballanee has authorised the Wanganui Herald to say that ho had been misreported, and that " the private information did not refer to Ministers, but solely to the expressed intention of the Commissioners." This is playing pretty low down. After such an expose we think Mr Bullanoe will abandon his proposed stumping tour.