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Mataura Ensign, Issue 670, 5 December 1899, Page 2

Both Mataura candidates address their final.nieelings at Gore to-night — Mr Raymond in the~Town Hall ; Mr McNnb in the Hoise Biizimr. Mr J. W. Tbomson speaks at Arthurton toniglit. £ " Mr- Seddon doesn't trust the people; he bribes-the people," says Mr John Hutcheson. One of the Christchurch eandi.latea for Parliamentary honors is distributing conversation lollies, with "Vote for " on them Mr John McNeil having dropped out of the* Clutha contest, Mr J. W. Thomson is looked on as next door to a certainty. The Premier at Woolstou siid the cry for the freehold was "a fetish." He will find that if 80 it is a fetish to which the country settler is very much attached. The rate per hend of Customs and escise duties is—New Zealand, £2 loa 2d ; Vioton.i, £1183; New South Wales, £1 4s Id. No wonder Mr Seddon is able to show a surplus. Mr John Joyce, solicitor, late member foi Lyttelton, - and again a candidate for the sent, died suddenly soon after 8 o'clock on Friday ! last. Another death of a candidate is reported, Mr T. R. Taylor, Government candidate for the liangitikei seat, died suddenly at his farm, Kiwitea, yesterday morning. He was well known anxHnuch respected on this coast, . having been connected with various local in-stitutions-during, his long residence. " Compared with the various forms of Liberal .bribery, the direct bribe of money or beer is a harmless and even honest transaction. Instead of paying for votes out of his own pockets, the New Zoaland ' Liberal ' buys them at the expense of the country." — Hon. J John MacGregor. Beferring to Mr Scobie Mackenzie's speech, the Dunedin ' Star ' says :— Never before in the historj of this or- any other colony has there been so much imposture on the side of "the Government and their followers, . and so much easy .credulity on the part of the people. ' '• ' ! Before the election of 1896 the. Premier, declared that it was useless- to expect settlers to go on struggling wlthouti'roads. Last session, just before the elections again, it transpired, whilst the settlers aforesaid had been struggling for years • without roads as bSSTthey could, that of the sum voted under this heading £84,911 had not been expended. ■With Air Joyce's dtath the nominations for the Lytteltdn election becomes void, and proceedings will be commenced dc novo. The* nominations now close on 12th December. The contest will probably be between Mr G. Laurenson (Liberal) and Mr'W. Jacques (Conservative). Mr Raymond's speech at Edendale was, as a whole, earnest* and straightforward, and bore the marks of sincerity and conviction. It was, moreover, delivered jvith, fearlessness, ■andicbnsequently theMmpression it conveyed was a' good one. ,To the questions that were asked Mr Raymond answered decisivelyand without hesitation, and. gave his genuine opinion when he might have been tempted to give replies that would win more favor from iyi influential body of the electors— the farmers. It is probably due to this honest attitude towards the electors, as well as to the soundness of .his politieak views, that Mrßaymond's position has improved with every day of his campaign, and- his supporters are justified in looking forward with. much confidence to the result of the ballot on Wednesday ' Times.' * The Premier's assertion at Palmerston North that Mr Pirani's representation of the district was " inimical to its-best inteiests " is described by the 'New Zealand Heraia ' as a most improper assertion for a Premier to make, implying, as it undoubtedly does, that the defection of Mr Pirani from the Ministerial ranks had caused the Government to punish the district by depriving It of its fair share of public expenditure. Could anything, our contemporary asks, be more unjust or contemptible; or more -at variance with the true spirit of democracy.? ■- Mr J. W. -Thomson had v. splendid reception at Waiwera on Saturday evening last, the large hall being nearly full. The meeting- was very enthusiastic, and carried a hearty vote of thanks and confidence in the past and future member.