The Hastings Standard Published Daily. SATURDAY, NOV. 14, 1896. "THANKS AND CONFIDENCE."

Hastings Standard, Issue 171, 14 November 1896, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily.

SATURDAY, NOV. 14, 1896. "THANKS AND CONFIDENCE."

For the cause that lacks assistance, For (he wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

It wnrt.ii be difficult indeed to assess the true value of the " thanks and confidence" voted at a public meeting. In the present campaign almost every candidate that has had the audacity to address a political meeting has had tired into him a vote of thanks and confidence. Let us take the case of the Pahiatua electorate, where there are no less than eight candidates. ■Most of these contestants have delivered their inaugural speeches amVall have received votes embodying thanks for the address and comfidence in the speaker as a Parliamentary representative. Now as the constituency can send only one representative, it is obvious that it cannot have confidence in all the candidates. The one that is elected may see some value in the votes, but to the defeated ones the expressions of confidence so lavishly tendered must appear as a hollow mockerj-. Then, again, there seems to be a belief current that these votes of confidence impress the electors. Those who hold this belief are easily deceived. In nine cases out of ten, the vote is arranged hours before it is proposed, the proposer and seconder rehearse their little speeches, the partisans of the candidate present at the meeting hold up their hands, those opposed to the candidate preserve a

commendable silence, and thus a meaningless vote is carried. The candidate who expects to get into Parliament on the strength of these oft-repeated votes of confidence will find himself sadly disappointed. The value, then, of a vote of confidence is nil. It is without measure and without meaning, but just so much undiluted tomfoolery. It would be infinitely better to omit the confidential part of the vote, and merely tender to the candidate the thanks of the meeting. Every well ordered and well regulated political meeting should, we think, express thanks for the political education afforded by the speaker, but confidence is quite another matter, and expressions of confidence are best recorded in the ballot box. The confidence trick is in a great measure due to the vanity of candidates. practically arrange the programme, and manage to get the vote proposed and seconded. The vote of confidence is of no value to the candidate, for it docs not bind the meeting to anything specific. It carries no weight with the electors, it does not influence them one jot, and such being the case, what is gained by wasting the time of the meeting in passing such a vote ? Its constant recurrence at political meetings may be justified on the supposition that little things please little minds.