Daily Circulation, 1900. The Oamaru Mail. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1899.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIV, Issue 7692, 8 December 1899, Page 2

Daily Circulation, 1900. The Oamaru Mail. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1899.

Certain of the newspapers that are opposed to the GovernmenC are accounting; in every way but the right for the phenomenal victory won by the Liberal party as the result of the election. Jtmaybo as comforting as one can expect under the distressing circumstances to attribute the issue to the weakness or ineptitude of colonists, or to the better organisation of the Liberals, or to the prosperity of the colony; but no good can come of cherishing such delusions. It may be that the great mass of the people who voted for the Liberal candidates are misguided and ignorant and the minority everything that is excellent j but it is this mass that supplies the heavy political battalions without which victory is impoES ble—in matters political it is the people who have to be consulted not personal prejudices and interests. As to the better organisation of the Liberal party, if these newspapers were of- opinion that the Liber*l party was better organised, why did they abuse the Premier for addressing meetings throughout the colony and heap ridicule and contumely on Mr Edwards, the organiser, of whom Mr Scobie Mackenzie spoke as 11 the man Edwards 2" The third reason we have quoted is unique in its way. Tory newspapers who urge it carefully avoid a full explanation. "In times of prosperity there is always a disinclination on the part of the people to change its political leaders," they say. This is another attempt to cloud the issue. The position is that the Government having done everything in their power to promote the prosperity of the colony, and the colony being now prosperous, the people naturally prefer a continuance of the existing arrangements to a change that portended retrogression and dissatisfaction. " The les3ons of the campaign will, no doubt, not be lost on the party in the future," we are told. We hope they will not. It is about time that the party who were defeated nearly 10 years ago on the clearest possible issues should realise that the causes of their non-success lie within themselves. It is futile to attribute it to want of electoral organisation when it Is due to lack of principle and principles. Their expression of faith that better organisation might have induced the public to believe in them and trust them is proof that they have not, so far, improved by experience. Then, we are told that the result of the election was a surprise and that the anticipations of public men have been completely falsified in Dunedin, The newspaper that makes this statement goes to the wrong public men for its information. We were informed weeks ago in Dunedin that the result of the election would be an entire victory for the Liberal candidates—that even Mr Scobie Mackenzie would not ba returned, Ihe apologist newspaper says " we verily believe that the- large majority of those who, by their votes have deprived that gentleman TMr Scobie Mackenzie] of his Beat m Parliament would this morning recall their ballot, papers if that were possible. We differ from this opinion. Mr Mackenzie was deliberately rejected. There was nothing hurried about the election. All had an opportunity of making themselves understood; and of urging their claims. Mr Mackenzie. took infinite pains to make hxa calling and election sure ; but he was rash and inconsistent and unscrupulous, and he failed, as many a better man had done before him. We do not rejoice because he has lost, but because his opponents have won. It is possible that Mr Mackenzie might win at some future time if he will only recant, and if he would drop the idea that the masses are an aggregation of stupid creatures, good for nothing Bave to vote— things to be humbugged and misled for one's own purposes.