The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Morning. Thursday, November 21, 1889. “THE DEVIL TO PAY.”

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 380, 21 November 1889, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Morning.

Thursday, November 21, 1889. “THE DEVIL TO PAY.”

Be just and fear not; Let ail the ends thou alm'et at be thy country's, Thy God's, and truth’s.

Mr Graham has not yet made an apology for his accusation against a section of the newspaper Press—the grave charge that his words about the Assets Company and the reason why he entered Parliament had been twisted into a different meaning. And as our contemporary has chosen not only to gloss over the affair, but to offer a wanton insult to those who happen to be in political opposition to it, we now fee) no further delicacy in referring to the matter, because it has a great bearing on the forthcoming election. As there are many electors not aware of the whole circumstances a brief reference to the last election for the East Coast Is necessary. Shortly before the election Mr

John Baldwin (now deceased) published a trenchant article in which Mr Graham was accused of wanting to get into Parliament simply to represent the interests of the Assets Company, and details were gone into which proved the writer had at least some knowledge of the subject. Mr C. Wilson was then editor of the Standard, which strongly opposed Mr Graham, but Mr Baldwin’s accusations were considered so unjust by Mr Wilson that the Standard disclaimed being a party to any such discreditable political tactics. The ’ effect was that a statement calculated to greatly damage Mr Graham’s chances resulted in his obtaining a large number of votes from men of high standing who would otherwise have voted for Mr McDonald. Mr Adams (deceased), who was editing the Herald, also very cleverly turned the accusations against Mr McDonald’s party, bitterly denouncing Mr Baldwin’s action as being the meanest of political tactics and a discredit to the McDonald party. However, the public know the sequel, and the new light which has been thrown upon the subject will enable the public to form a better judgment as to Mr Baldwin's conduct. Though the Standard disavowed his tactics, in the belief that he was abusing his position as a journalist, it is only fair to the memory of the deceased to refer the attention of the electors to the later developments in regard to the Assets Company, and we leave it to them to form their own judgment upon the matter.

Even the Herald, ! has to admit that Mr Graham’s accusation of “twisting” was unfounded, though of course, when a man “ did not know whether he stood on his head or his heels,” anything short of knocking another man down would in him be excusable, Still, if Mr Graham “ did not want to add political to his financial troubles,”—-if he had any respect for the district—-he might easily, when he had time to think over the matter, have written a few lines to the newspapers, in explanation or contradiction of what he had said ; and he might also have saved further trouble by taking the opportunity offered him to opoiogise for his grave accusation against the Press.

While we can well afford to dismiss, with contempt, Mr Graham’s charges of “ twisting,”~~an accusation which applies only to the newspaper Press—we do not intend ...to leave unnoticed the attitude taken up by the inspired Graham-rim-Arthur organ, It is not satisfied with making a lame apology for Mr Graham, hilt—unconsciously, no doubt—makes still gravet aspersions against Mr Graham, in a ludicrous attempt to throw discredit on an absent man. Here are the exact words used, about which there can be no “twisting ” • His [Mr Graham’s] supporters, who embraced all classes of the comm unity, thought so highly of him that they raised a considerable sum of money to defray the expenses of the contest. But Mr Graham was mainly moved to come forward through the treatment he received in' a Harbor Board matter from Underhand political influence. Mr Graham was the Chairman of the Board, and had always .taken a deep interest in all affairs relating to the port. He was a Government nominee, and was removed from the Board. Had it not been for that circumstance, probably no amount of pressure would have Induced Mr Graham to become a candidate.

In other words, it is all a myth about the Assets Company, and Mr Graham came forward purely out of—must we gay “spite?” In regard to the Harbor Board our contemporary makes a ’ vile calumny on the name of the unfortunate Mr Allan McDonald- When that gentleman, in the days of his prosperity, —before he took upon himself the Don Quixote-like task of fighting a Bank —went on a trip to England, his character was, in his absence, assailed in such a way that when he (unexpectedly) returned, the Herald at once ate humble pie, making the most abject apology to Mr McDonald. Poor Allan has gone again, but the circumstances are different ; he, too, became a financial wreck, and the Herald can now resort to the old method of making up for old scores, But we warn our contemporary that Mr McDonald has yet friends in Gisborne. It is a deliberate falsehood to say that Mr Graham was removed from the Harbor Board. The facts are: Four members of the Harbor Board have to be elected by the ratepayers ; the Mayor of Gisborne and the County Chairman hold seats by virtue of their offipe, and the Government nominates three members, the nominees and elective members being selected every two years, Shortly before the general election nominee? had to be selected, but Mr Graham was hot re-appointed, and Mr McDonald was nominated. The appointment came as a great surprise to the McDonald party, and it was considered by that party to be a political dodge intended to gain a little sympathy for Mr Graham, ana Graham’s party did not fail to make much use of the incident for political purposes, just as we might now—if we were not ahovegiich discreditable tactics—gay that the nomination by Government of Mr Murphy, of Mr Arthi|i-, gnd of Dr Pollen was due to' political favoritism. We make no such insinuation, for if we had believed any one of those gentlemen was not a fit and proper person to be on the Board, the (Government would, at the proper time, very soon have been made aware of our protest. .Qur contemporary ought to try and take the same lofty stand. Our own opinion as to the reason why Mr Graham was not re-appointed tq the Board is that I: had nothing whatever to do with politics ; that his claim to nomination was righteously rejected on account of the flagrantly misleading estimates which ho laid before the ratepayers, prior to the harbor loan being raised, and for which they have now to keeply suffer.

. Our contemporary’s confession as tq the considerable sum of money that was raised to defray thp expenses of the contest in which Mr Graham was victorious may throw some light upon the new reason—the Harbor Board affair—which has been given for Mr Graham’s candidature, aqd men not biassed by strong political feeling may think it has some reference to this paragraph ip Mr Arthur’s address :— While feeling that I should be greatly honored by being returned, I yet eonaider that tha •ieetqja are under an obligation to a Member, if be doss hie 4 at J’ for the ti,ne ' trouble, and expenss he if gut to on tbeir bebalf, I regret that I oanriqt eetfs titpa at thia busy season at the year tp canvass, nor am I so wealthy as to be able to spend money over the election,

To Mr Rees individually we have objected—strongly objected—but as the Graham-Arthur party appear, by the statemei?ts made in the inspired pript, Jo bfi determined to make the election a party one, to force the industrial classes to combine to try b nd defeat the party, then we ife quite prepared tq accent the challenge, though F are sorry ,the election should be conducted on u.2 , s ,'?. The Herald has, by its aspersions on tiro name of Mr McDonald, thrown down the gauntlet : the election is not to be fought man against man —Arthur against Rees; — it is to be a party fight. Then let it be so; we are with the Liberals.' If Mr Arthur’s supporters countenance the tactics employed by our contemporary, and alienate those who would befriend them (because of antagonism to Mr Rees indvidually), they must take the consequences,

[After She above wan written -we reoeived a letter from Mr Graham, published in auotber column, but it in nq way affects thn foi'egvlng remavkuj.