Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1928. THE ELECTORS’ TURN.

Grey River Argus, 14 November 1928, Page 4

Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1928. THE ELECTORS’ TURN.

There has once again come the one and only day on, which, each three years, the ordinary people who really are the State, have each their individual say in the choice of those who are to govern the country. It is now the duty of the public to make a selection from among those who aspire to legislate for them. In the difficult social and economic times which have come upon the Dominion. and which nirfst be faced in the future, a great deal depends upon Ihe degree of levelheadedness to-day brought to bear by the a vertigo voter. The exercise of the franchise on this occasion is in many electorates no perfunctory matter, for the election campaign has been waged so variously that the danger of misleading the public has been a very real one. Take the Westland contest as an illustration. There has been a sustained effort Io assassinate the character of the Labour candidate, and our strong conviction that this endeavour has proved a miserable failure springs from the further conviction that the people of the West (’oast will no more Stand to-day for that sort of thing than they have done in the past. Because Mr O’Brien stands out, as ever, for the ideal of distributive justice, because his objective is to serve each and all—the poor, no less than those free from want — he has been misrepresented as disloyal to the people. His advocacy of such social and industrial reforms as wil 1 not ohly make for a greater and more pro sperous nation, but will bring both comfort and security for everybody, has been decried as a delusion and impossibility. The policy he has put forward has indeed been termed insincere, and the further allegation made that he really aims at something else. It cannot, however, be said that his opponent has thus been maligned. Rather has he .been taken at his word, and his performances compared with his promises. Why should not Mr O’Brien be judged by his record as a public man? We are sure that will be what the electors of Westland to-day will judge him by. They will consider, not the hostile and despicable propaganda brought to bear against him. but his ability as a public man, and the policy he puts forward, the policy that will give to everv. one a fair chance in life. Tt will not be held \o his discredit that his sympathies are ever with the bottom dog. It is very significant that, on the eve of the election, his opponents’ press should alter their tactics, and claim, as our evening contemporary does yesterday, that “wage-earners have always found a warm friend in Mr Seddon.” It is indeed then a pity be has in Parliament voted so frequently at variance with his friendship for the working class. The most regrettable feature of the election campaign here, however, has been the unashamed endeavour to exploit the noblest sentiments of patriotism for political party purposes. The public have been asked to subscribe to the doctrine that ,a vote against one of the candidates would be an act of disloyalty. In fact, there has been an effort actually to make a “cornel'” in loyally and to claim a monopoly of patriotism. .If it comes to a test, nobody can say Mr O’Brien has been ever disloyal to his country or its people and their welfare. That the people of Westland will realise this we arc confident they will decisively demonstrate to-day. The life of many a fighter for a better and happier world has exhibited n triumph, over obstacles such as those which Mr O’Brien has faced and overcome in this campaign, and his enthusiastic supporters throughout the electorate arc a living testimony to the fact, that} his reputation stands now higher* than ever. With his colleagues in more than a score of contests, he can look forward confidently to-day to a memorable victory.