THE CHRISTCHURCH ELECTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10048, 7 February 1896, Page 4

THE CHRISTCHURCH ELECTION.

Miners have thoroughly taken in hand tie Cliristchurch election. They are ver; handed at present, the portfolio hid by Sir Patrick Buckley and Mr Rqvcs not having ye been filled up. 'ut notwithstanding that both Mr. Sldon and Mr. Ward, the two strongei- and busiest members oi the Governient, are going to stump the electoral on behalf of Mr. R. M. Taylor. Disjssion had taken place cii why it was tit the issue of the writ had been so lag delayed. Some Government suporters were apparently anxious to nike it appear that the delay arose tVough His Excellency travelling. _ Jr. Seddou, however, put an end to this dea. To an interviewer at Christchurc he said that the whole responsibility n connection with the issue of the wit rested with the 'government, sul His Excellency was not to blame in any way for the apparent delay On being questioned regarding theJovernni6iit's intentions re the Chritchurch election, Mr. Seddon said he electors could rest assured the Gcernment were not going to stand aloof. The Government, and himself as lied of the Liberal party, were going toiglit the election to the end. He intaded to return to Christchurch from Dnedin on Friday next, but 110 amusements had yet been made with regard to Ministers addressing flu Cliristchurch electors. Mr. T. E. Tayir, who is an advanced Liberal and a 'ery advanced Prohibitionist, is to b thrown over by the Government, alhough ho seems determined to go to t,e poll. He is indeed fiercely _ attackei by the Ministerial organ in Christ>hurch. He is an apostle of entire s«briety, but he is not very sober in his utterances. Like extreme Democrats vnd Prohibitionists in general, he has a string aversion to the press. At a recent neeting he said that he "knew mem ben of the press who went to the Savage Club and listened to 'smutty' yarn! there every night, talked what they Hare not talk to women, and went hor e in a state of drunkenness." The Gov rnment newspaper is horrified at thi) gross attack on the gentlemen of the press and the members of the Savaje Club. The president of the Savage Club replies to Mr. Taylor that "smvtty yarns" are unknown at the Savagf Club, and that the only liquor dispensed is coffee, Some objection has also been taken tc a "Drink-seller's Litany," which has been brought into the election, but Mr, T. E. Taylor, who seems to have a great flow of language, says the objectors are "bleary-eyed, beery-mouthed, godless individuals, who have no respect for themselves." Cliristchurch will have a good, sensible representative if it returns Mr. C. Lewis, but the other two men seem far beneath even the present low average of Parliamentary intelligence.