Evening Post. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1887. THE CANDIDATES FOR TE ARO.

Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 63, 12 September 1887, Page 2

Evening Post. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1887. THE CANDIDATES FOR TE ARO.

We do not think Mr. Fraser strengthened himself much by his speech in the Opera House on Thursday evening. It certainly tended to show that his knowledge of politics is of but a rudimentary character, and that he is barren of original ideas or matured opinions on the majority of political subjects. On one point only was he decidedly pronounced, and that was one in which he congratulated himself that we wero in accord with him— the question of a land tax ; but he impliedly charged us with inconsistency in having, as ie alleged, "taken Mr. Menteath under our wing" when that gentleman was opposed to this tax. We cannot admit tho soft impeachment, for we had nothing to do with bringing Mr. Menteath forward, nor have we at all gone out of our way either to support him, or to attack Mr. Fraser. As each has appeared before the public we have commented on their utterances. Other papers have done tho same, and arrived at similar conclusions to our own. We by no means approve of all Mr. Menteath's views, and as there is really no great principle at issue in the contest we fail to recognise any necessity for unreservedly championing Mr. Menteath, or violently assailing Mr. Fraser. The choice between the two gentlemen is merely a matter of taste, and we all know tastes differ. Every elector should be perfectly able to form his own opinion as to -which of tho two is most likely to exerciso influence in the House, and through it benefit the constituency. As to Mr. Menteath being opposed to a land tax, w,e regret the fact, but in politics, as in other things, we prefer a man who holds_ principles founded on conscientious convictions and the result of mature thought, even when his opinions differ from our own, to one who, though he may chance to ogreo with us at the time, has really no settled principles, and is liable to be swayed abont by every wind of doctrine. Our approval of Mr. Mentiath is not more inconsistent than Mr. Fraber's support of a Ministry which, lik.e Mr. Menteath, is opposed to the tax, whioh Mr. Fraser, like ourselves, favours. When we leave the apparently solid ground of the land tax, on which Mr. Fraser avows decided views, we search through 'his speech in vain for any other point on which ho can bo " fixed. " Even his support to the Government is evidently half-hearted. He supported them in appealing to tho country, but he admits he does not know upon what ground the appeal iB made. He was williog to put the country to the expenso of a second session, apparently simply to give a Ministry, whioh he admits he does not think will come back with a majority, and whioh he will not bo sorry to see turned out, a fow months' longer term of office. His excuse is that, having boen oleoted as a Government supporter, he would have beon ' ' politically gibbeted throughout tho colony had he not voted for them. It appears to us that this is a confession of utter incap icity to properly fill a representative position. He had no right to think of himsolf in the matter at all. He was not sent to Parliament as a delegate, but as a repre- j sentatiye / and he should not havo jeopardised tbo public interests in order to preserve an appearance of personal consistency, or even toßave himself from the "political gibbeting " he appears so much to dread. If he would not now be sorry to soe tho Governmont out, it is impossible to find any reason to justify his having, np to the last, done his best to keep them in. With regard to the future Ministry, Mr. Fbaser, like a political Bunthorne, "yearns" for "the best," but ha doos not attempt to define it. His Bpecches force us to the conclusion that he believes, with the poet, that "whatever iB, is ' best.' " A certain Vicar of Bray, in a former generation, immortalised himself by . Btendy adherence to tills comfortable and;

consoling faith* As for Mr. Fraser's views on Freetrade, thoy are delightfully vafrne. He is a Freetrader, he says, but he is going to vote for Protection ; but only aH far aB Sir Robert Stout goes, not with Mr. Ballancp—that is, he says, not " baldheaded. Even though Mr. Fraser had not made this allusion, we Bhould, from his spec -h generally, have arrivecfat the conclusion that he is familiar with the Biglow papers, as his conduct is framed so exactly on the lines or the candidate for the Presidency who wrote— Ez to my prineerples I glory In hevin" nothin' o' the sort ; I ain't a Wiff, I ain't a Tory, Pm jest a candidate in short ; Tbet's fair an' square an' parpendicler, Hut ef the Public cares a fig To hey me an'thin" in particler, Wy I'm a kind 0' peri-wig. When we turn to the other candidate and examine what Mr. Menteath has said and written, we find a very different state of things. He has opinions of his own, and is not afraid to declare them in the most decided manner. They are opinions founded on clearly defined principles and well thought out. He is able to give a reason for the faith that is in him, and to state his views in clear, unmistakable language. He does not attempt to palter with his hearers in a double sense, or Reek to run with tho hare as well as hunt with the houndß. There is no equivocation or reservation in his words, but all is clear, distinct, and above board. The electors, if they choose him, will know exactly what they are doing. If they take Mr. Fraser they must take him on trust. There iB a Scotch proverb which warns prudent people from " buying a pig in ap»ke."