THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 512, 30 September 1890, Page 3

THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

The forthcoming election contest has awakened great interest throughout the colony, and there is much speculation as to whether or not a better class of men will be elected to the new Parliament. The alteration of boundaries has made quite a change in the old order of things. In the East Coast electorate, for instance, the southern portion of the electorate is almost entirely ignorant of what is being done by the other portion. It is believed that in spite of the poor figure Mr Arthur cut in the last House that his friends will put him forth as a candidate again, but they are, so it is said, afraid to make the first move, because during the last campaign it was found that he had to remodel the principles he enunciated, as they did not meet with popular favor—his views on Education for instance. Mr Bees, on the other hand, is busy at the Supreme Court, the work being of such a nature that it must be attended to. Mr Kelly, it is believed, will be a candidate, but he has not yet thought it worth while to make any official announcement of his intention. Another candidate from the Tauranga district has been talked of, but though one or two names have been mentioned everything .in that respect is still shrouded in mystery. If- two candidates are put forward from the northern district there is the better chance of the southern district returning its representative. But in any case Mr Rees is eertsin to get a large support in the Opotiki and Tauranga districts. His name is well known there, and it is felt that he would rise above the petty local jealousies that would make the fight a mere contest between localities. If the last election were to be fought over again there is not much doubles his opponents admit—that Mr Rees would be successful, end in the new order of things hie supporters have strong grounds for believing that he will bead the poll. Mr Jellicoe is a candidate for Wellington City. The Wellington labor bodies have selected as their candidates for Parliament Messrs F. H. Fraser, B. McLean, and T. K. Macdonald.

A new Parliament (says the Press) has probably never been elected in New Zealand under the exciting conditions and in the disturbed state of public opinion as will be the one for which the writs are shortly to be issued. In the Colony’s early days there was always plenty of excitement at elections, but there was no great social question, or any very important political one for that matter, depending upon the'irlresults. They were free and easy times, and the whole community very often knocked off work to take part in the contests, which were carried out on purely personal lines. And indeed, in those early days there was a collection of men of such commanding abilities that very few young countries have ever been served by, and they had each, their bodies of supporters, whose enthusiasm at election times knew no bounds. In Wellington we have had—in effigy—prominent rollticiana strung up, burned or drowned n the harbor with funeral honors by the adherents of the opposition sides without a particle of political principle being involved. Those days have long gone by, but still elections have generally been decided on personal rather than on grounds of public policy. In the ensuing election, however, there are evidences that this will, for the first time in our 'history, be decidedly changed. There can be no doubt that in this election the cry will be very largely •' Measures, not Men."