Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1899. TO-DAY'S ISSUE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXIII, Issue 275, 6 December 1899, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1899. TO-DAY'S ISSUE.

The expenditure per head of population is also greater than in Victoria, viz., £6 11s 4d compared with ;£5 19s 6d for the latter province ; while the pablio debt baa been in-ure-fled from £38,844,000 in 1891 to £46,938,000 in 1899— and this by a •'s» If- reliant and non-borrowing Government." The tax per head derived from import and excise 'duties in iffew Zealand is no less than £2 15s 2d compared wiih 18* a head from other sources of taxation. 1 hese figures are not our own. They are from the official statistics published by the greatest Goverment Statistician south of the Line— Mr T. A. Coghlan, of Sydney, and all the violent fallacies of Mr Graham cannot explain or joggle thorn awny. * • * Why doea Mr Graham try Jo juggle and explain when he was solemnly pledged in 1898 to reduce Customs duties on the necessaries of life and to oppose borrow-* ing P Because a more binding j>hdge- ono he gave in writing to the Bosb when Mr John Kerr was d«sen'ed by the Party of Tammany —binds him to his master. He da-, s n I avow him>e'£ i& favour of a rednciioa of Cu9» i toms taxation, till the Boss! bas given the word-jost as Mr Graham had to sing small about the promised penny postage when he found that the Boss had refused to give it when speaking at Auckland and Palmerston North Mr Hursthouse is not so pledged, so fettered— and he advocates a Free Breakfast table. # * * Turn to (be utterances of the two candidates in any direction and mark the contrast. The pledged servant of heddonism can only obey and hide his obedience behind transparent bluster. Often, during the last six years, have Nelson electors wondered how it was that their member spoke bo independently yet" voted so abjectly. They know now— the pledge to Seddonism is a chain only so long and no longer — the chained may go a little way, but they can be brought to heel with a sharp tug when the division bell rings. What Boss will ever chain Mr Hursthouse so 1 • • • Mr Graham told us in his opening speech at the Theatre that he did not advocate a non-political Civil Service Board. Why ? Because with such a Board the occupation of scores of the "Boss's nnderlings"— of the Boss himself— would bo gone. The pulling of the strings of the public service by political favouritism is as the breath of life of the system Seddonism has introduced and perfected in New Zealand— a system from which the more enlightened colonies revolted years ago. New Zealand is held up as a pattern for legislation. Yet in nine years she has fallen so far be hind in the race of reform that the smallest colonies of Australasia have better organised Civil Services and Local Governments than she! Mr Hursthouse is in favour of a Civil Service Board, and of local Government placed beyond the need of going to Minister or member, Boss or Underling of Tammany, for every ten pound note, which is doled out as the price of this man's vote and that. Look but at the adjoining electorate. Mark the political helot who will probably be returned— for his merits ? Heaven help us, No ! But because he has the- ear of the boss and can give a road and a bridge — buy votes, in fact, with bridges and beer ! Fancy Mr Richmond Hursthouso, the horny-handed farmer with the bluff manner, in such a galley ! *. » * Finally, were Mr Graham thebestintentioned member or candidate in the world he is so fettered, as his fellow-followers of the Boss are fettered, that he cannot move hand or foot of his own volition. Hv is pledged. Recall Mr Hursthouse's first meeting in Nelson during the present campaign. When he was denouncing the pledge— the written pledge given by Ministerial supporters to the Premier, the Ministerial candidate's brother ejaculated, "It has to be given to bust up the Conservatives ! " Well, he probably knew, and knows, that Seddonism is notjikely to demand % pledge and get 'it from Mr John Hutcheson, who threw it back torn across, and re-entered Parliament free and triumphant- and let Mr Graham range at will. Mr Hursthouse is not so pledged— and is not likely to be. For the forhgoing and for a score of other reasons given during the present campaign, therefore, let the electors of Nelson — the men and women — the fathers and {mothers - "Strike out the top Line " on the voting papers and vote for Hursthouse and thkjk Uhsiith.

™ m« oLra - THE FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT.

In common with the rest of the the colony a momentous doty do Tolvee upon the men and women of Nelson to-day. Tne privilege of the ballot, -won by the tlood of onr forefathers, and worn by as too ofttn disregarding, U to b-> exercised, and it will depend on the decision of the bullot-box whether ibeie Ebali be political reforra throughout the land. Tne abstractions repte.eming the two principle involved in ibe straggle are Mr Hurathouae and Mr Graham. Mr Harsthoase is the advocate of true Liberalism, political freedom, redaction of (/uitoaift; taxation on the necessaries of Hie, parity of administration, justice to Civil Servants, and equal chancea to all without favonriti.m to enter that service by metit and rise in it by merit and senioi ity . Mr Graham is. a pledged nominee ot a Boss— a term rendered odious by »he Tamma'.yism of which tteddonisru ia the j>ew I Zealand imitation. That he has been tainted by hie association with his muster — abundant proof h*s been given during the fast few days — not only by the exposures in these columns, bat alao by his own virulent speeches and attacks on his opponents, and by the tactics he has connived at if not actually followed. The exhibition last night will not aoon be forgotten by the right-minded of tne community. There was no word of politics — it may be said that (here •nm no time for speaking that word, for it occupied more fhan two ! hoars to make a lame defence aad a j bitter and revengeful attack on those who have iv fi led what they regard as an extremely painful duty. • * # Conapare the opinions of these two candidates, and the men and women of Nelson most decide in favour of the Opposition candidate. Wo kaow that though Mew Zealand has a population of only 743,000 compared with the typically Customs » taxed Victoria's 1, 1 75,000, New Zta and lait year contributed no leuthaa £1,961,728 in Customs! taxation— We highest of any colony ] in Australasia in actual amount, |