WELLINGTON SUBURBS ELECTION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11235, 5 April 1897, Page 4

WELLINGTON SUBURBS ELECTION.

In anticipation of the issue of a fresh writ for Wellington Suburbs, the Government and Opposition parties in the electorate have candidates in the field, and are marshalling their forces. The fairly equal - strength of parties in the district will give interest to the pending struggle. It will be remembered that an Oppositionist, Dr Newman, represented the district in last Parliament, but as he chose to contest the Manawatu seat at the general election—and was, by the way, defeated by an entire novice in politics—Messrs Wilford and Hislop stood for the, Suburbs in the Government and Opposition interests lespec-" tively. The victory of Mr Wilford, which was one of many Government triumphs in the Wellington district, was nullified through the celebrated “ Mulvaney letter ” being considered a breach of the Corrupt Practices Act. Mr Wilford is, of course, ineligible as a candidate at the pending election; but there is nothing to hinder Mr Hislop again submitting himself to the electors, and his graceful selfeffacement requires some explanation. The reasons advanced by Mr Hislop himself are no reasons at all unless we read between the lines. When the election petition proceedings were taken, he indicated that if they were successful it “would be better” that he should not again contest the seat. The reason is so obvious that we presume he did not wish to insult the intelligence of the public by supposing it was necessary to state it. The Mulvaney business reflected so little credit upon Mr Hislop, that so far as he was concerned the petition victory was worse than a defeat. Mr Hislop was very careful to protest, also,, that he lodged the petition in the. interests of “ the party,” and not of himself. Welland good. The odium, of the tactics which made use of that letter is thus transferred from Mr Hislop to the Opposition Party; and if, as that gentleman has virtually confessed, the sorry business is. sufficient to damn his chances of election, it ought, by parity of reason-' ing, to tell with equal force against the party’s nominee for the seat. The two candidates, Mr 0. Wilson and Mr A. E. Atkinson, both occupied high places on the poll for Wellington City at the general election, being the highest two of the unsuccessful candidates. Assuming the election to be fought out on strict party lines, there is every reason to expect the electors to repeat their general election decision in favour of the Government. Something may depend upon the temperance vote, for Mr. Atkinson is prepared to promise all that the Prohibitionists demand; but there are temperance voters among the Liberals who will not allow that one question to drive them into hostility to a party which has given them such a large measure of temperance reform.