TOWN EDITION. Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1887. THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXI, Issue 303, 28 November 1887, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1887. THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

Someone who iB very succea ful in hisendeavour to assume Mr John Giaham's well known 6tyle has been writing fo our morning contem pornty with the object of inducing the ratepnyers to place an alto^ getber erroneous interprets' ion upon our comments on Mr John Sharp's candidature for tbe Mayoralty. It i 3 ptated with much emphasis that for the appointments behaa at one time or another held ho reseived remuneration, and complaint is made that we were studiously careful to avoid mentioning this. Of course we did not mention it. We were writing for intelligent people, and we never fi r a moment supposed that they would need to dp, told that when a man takeß the position of Clerk, Surveyor, Registrar, Resident Magistrate, and so on, he does so for the fake of the emolument attached to tbe office and not in that catholio spirit of liberality which by implication is claimed to be ths 1 roaineprinef of all Mr Graham's actions. Like 999 out of every 1000 who como to the colony Mr Sharp had to earn his living, and these were the kind of occupations ho "selected, and ii is t:> his credit that in all tho offices ho hell he proved a sncc?ea. But the fact of his beiog paid for the work he did does not in the smalles"! degree affect our orgument, which was that the experience he gained in these various capacities could not fail lo bo of Vf ry great service to a public man, rs^oci-illy one sd shrewd and ODFervant na Mr Sharp, and mu^t of necessity havo given him n knowledge of men and of business matters which would tend to render him a useful occupant of the position to which ho oppfrpp. Mr Graham's imitator who contributes to the correspondence columns of the Colonist seems to think that a sense of gratitude to that gentleman for having already taken an active interest in the affairs of the Corporation ought to impel the ratepayers to support him in hiß candidature for the Mayoralty, but here we join issue with him. Tbe ratepayers have nothing whatever to do with sentiment of this kind. The duty they are required to perform is to seoure the services of the best man available as Mayor, and they are not called upon to place a candidate in that position simply as a reward for his having served them in another capacity. If they think Mr Graham would make the better Mayor of the two, by all means let them vote for him, but do not let them consider that they are bound to elect him because he has been in the Council for two or three years. Our own opinion, which we believe ia shared by the large majority of the ratepayers, is that he is not suitable for the office. His temperament, unfortunately, is such as to preclude him from getting on with other men unless they are prepared to acknowledge his supremacy. So long as he has all his own way matters go on pleasantly enough, but as soon as there is any faction, then the trouble begins ; his disposition to domineer displays itself; he becomes overbearing and dictatorial, attempts to ride roughshod over those who differ from him, and lose 8 that calm judgment which should be t xerciaed by those placed in positions of authority. Tbe introduction of such nn element into the Mayoral chair could not prove other than dangerous, and antagonistic to the successful transaction of the business of tbe Council. As a member of that body, where he is, so to speak, under control, Mr Graham is exceedingly useful. He is a good ppeaker, aod cakes an intelligent view of the various matters that come under consideration, but he is not, for tbe reasons indicated above, calculated to make a desirable or efficient chairman, and that, as we remarked tbe other day, is one of the chief qualificatiocs whioh the ratepayers should require in the Mayor, who should at all times display a spirit of impartiality and racderaiioD, and with firmness combine a desire to conciliate those over whose deliberations he presides. These characteristics are wanting in Mr Graham, and for that reason we believe it would be a fatal mistake to place him in the chair, One word ac to the manner oE conducting this election. • We cannot for the life of us see why any ill feeling whatever should be imported into the contest. Two citizens are good enough to offer to place their services at the disposal of the ratepayers. That they and their claims to the position should be criticised is natural enough and is only right, but they, and their critics also bo long as they are temperate in their comments, have a right to expect to be treated with courtesy. It would be well if this were borne in mind not only at this, but at every other election, by those wto feel constrained to write to the newspapers on the subject. There is one thing we wish to strongly impress upon the ratepayers, namely, the necessity for recording their votes. The occasion is an important one, and it is a duty that eyery elector owes to himself and the town that he should vote for the candidate he believes to be best fitted to be placed at the head of our municipal affairs.