THE DISHONESTY OF MR. FOX’S NEWSPAPER.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume XIII, Issue 1370, 18 September 1858, Page 2

THE DISHONESTY OF MR. FOX’S NEWSPAPER.

The Independent, last Wednesday, accused the R-adical Reformers of inconsistency on two grounds. The first is, that while the Reform party complained of the Government forbringing in Wairarapa people to swamp the town electors, yet some of the Reformers went from town to vote atWairarapa, The second, which has been often repeated of late, is thqt, while the Reform party brought in a bill to prevent Government officers from unduly interfering with elections, yet Messrs. Wakefield and Hunter, when in office, accompanied Mr. St. Hill on a canvassing expedition to Wanganui. These two charges are worthy of the shuffling, misrepresenting gentleman who has lately acknowledged with pride that he wrote libels for the Independent. First. Most of the Wairarapa and Hutt people brought in by Dr. Featherston's paid officers and touters to get him and Captain Rhodes in for the General Assembly, were men of straw, who had long ceased to possess, any qualification in the town, but whose names remained on the roll because no one had taken the trouble to object to them. On tlic contrary, the Reformers who went to vote for Mr. Borlijse at the Wairarapa are every one of them real owners of freehold property in that district: they were not pressed men: they volunteered from a sense of duty. They went to help the cause of those really interested ia the prosperity of the District, against tho Government influence over dependent roadmen, who were terrified by the threat of a reduction in their wages into voting for the land-mono-polist Captain Smith, who rejoices in a road made to Smith and- Revans's wool-shed at the expense of the rest of the district.

Second, The Reformers tried to prevent Government officers, >vho can promise Government favours, or threaten Government vengeuce, from unduly interfering in elections. That is, from being on Committees, signing requisitions, and canvassing in private, where no one can tell whether the Government officer uses the power of his office to gain the vote. But tho Reformers, in their Bill, specially permitted Government officers, as well ns other men, to explain themselves on public occasions, whether by writing, print, or speech. And Messrs. Wakefield and Hunter in their trip to Wanganui, did not canvass io any other way than attending public meeting 9!

where the arguments used by them could be openly examined and controverted. We understand that, nt the recent Wairarapa election, the Government roadmen were told by those placed in authority over them that their wages would be reduced from ss. to 4s. a-day unless they voted for theGovernfnent Candidate, Captain Smith. They voted for him in a body directly. That is the kind of undue interference with elections which the Radicals would have stoped. But that is just the kind of electioneering influence which Dr. Featherston lives by—a real instance of the “ Featheh-my-nest policy.” So he vetoes the Bill, and Mr. Fox mis-represents it in the Independent.