EDITORIAL NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIV, Issue 7693, 9 December 1899, Page 1

EDITORIAL NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The Otago Daily Times accounts for Mr Millar's enormous majority by supposing that the bulk of those who supported Messrs Mackenzie and Sligo, but discarded Mr Haynea, gave their odd vote to Mr Millar. We do not know whether thiß is the correct explanation or not, but we do know that Mr Millar has won golden opinions for his honesty and his ability, and this being so, we have no such difficulty as the Times appears to experience in accounting for Mr Millar's signal success. There is nothing like looking at problems straight and bringing all one's skill and perception to bear on their solution. If Mr Scobie Mackenzie had polled such magnificent figures the Opposition papers would have attributed the fact to his popularity. The public know this ; then why indulge in far-fetched, irrational speculations 1 The Times expresses an opinion that Mr Sligo deserved better treatment at the hands of the electors than he received. The Times is still blinding itself to facts. It was the electors who deserved better treatment from Mr Sligo than they received. He proved himself to be an impracticable member, whose ideas always lagged a century behind the times. He was oracular, and his speech was unpleasantly harsh, both in manner and matter. He never did anything but complain about a Government that has been Bent back again to do the work of the colony. The greatest fault that is to be found with the Opposition newspapers and persons is that they never have been right in anj thing. Their traditions, their conceptions, their anticipations, their demeanor—all have been wrong, and even now they will not learn wisdom, but seek to persuade the public that the fault is not theirs, but that of others. There is only one way in which they may be trusted by the people. The people will not change now—it is those who seek to serve them who must conform to their wishes.