NATIONAL ASSOCIATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVIII, Issue 11334, 30 July 1897, Page 6

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION.

; , TO THE EDITOR. , Sib, —Permit me to tender my sincere thanks to “Avon ” for his courteous^ letter on the subject of the National Association. It is indeed gratifying to learn that he, or she has-no better definition for the Association than to term it an “ objectionable society.” - With this great frankness I assume that .“Avon” belongs :to the “ Liberal colour.” He states that it was not' the' National Association that “ accomplished the death-knell of many of the candidates ’.’ .with whose political opinions he seems to .agree; but that “ disunion and petty jealousies-in the ranks” did it. Tell it not in Gath! What an acceptable excuse, the champion of Liberalism makes. Let me refresh the memory,of “ Avon” a little. The first nominee of .the National. Association in Lewis, who averred that! ho wished his candidature “to be. regarded-as a protest against the manner in which the colony had of late been’-governed”-- Judging by the record poll obtained by that gentleman.at the.last general election, it is fair to say that in the opinion of the majority of the electors here the Government of the colony had not improved. Until, the advent of the National Association in our midst the Oppositionists were never organised; and by the large success achieved by the Association after being established only for a short while, it is indicative that the voting power of its members and supporters will be even more keenly felt at the next election than that of a few mouths ago.— lam, &c., # L.T.