AFTER THE BATTLE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10954, 20 December 1911, Page 4

AFTER THE BATTLE.

(By Sam Ray.)

Tho battle is over. At least for the present and tilings political are very mixed. , For the .first time for many years Northern Otago has voted..Conservative, and as Mr- Thomas Duncan's splendid record could not save • -tain from .the.wave of reaction even to the extent of compelling a second ballot),, it is not to be wondered at .that.the combination, of Conservatism arrayed against Mr J. A. Macpherson was too strong. The attack on Waitaki made by Mr Lee's Committee and supporters may however be remembered and. not to Conservative adyantage later 'on. Canterbury has saved the South Island from a reactionary inundation, and Dunedin "West to its everlasting honor refused to reject the Hon; J. A. Millar. A very regrettable feature of this election has been' the want of southern patriotism on the part of the Conservatwe Press. Tear after year the North Island is filching from us a portion of our representation. In this election the Conservative. Press of the South Island has endeavored to play into the hands of the Northern Island by persistently attacking and trying to drive out of. public life our ablest and most experienced men. Qtago.has now no strong, able experienced man save the Hon. J. A.. Millar and had the Otago Conservative Press had,its way he would have been rejected for a man from whom nothing practical could be expected,and what is worse'still for a man with whom if true to his professed opinions that press had less in common than with Mr\ Millar. It is a sorrv state, of things when the leaders or those who ought to be the leaders of public opinion,adopt the "Vote for » Chinaman if he is against the Government" argument, and -Dunedin, West is to be warmly commended for entering so emphatic a protest "at last Thursday's poll against the tactics adopted to defeat Mr. Millar. . .At any ;rate the reactionaries have sneceeded in bringing about chaos as Mr Fisher wished. . No r par.ty.can now .command a majority. ./The Conservative. Press, is already appealing to cer-tain-Liberals who are.said to be weak; — to wit Messrs Sidey, Clark, Russell, Coates, etc., —to: come into the Tory parlor. « If they do, the handwriting is on the wall for them next election, -for as. surely as the pendulum has swung one way owing to a.; campaign of .abuse and misrepresentation obscuring.., the real issue, so surely will it swing back and the Liberals who "rat" just now will be relegated to the scrap .heap-later, on. -The, time, to try the mettle of men is. when the stress comes and tlic next few-months will Weed out the .men. of principle! from, those who are prepared to jump .with, the cat. Men like John M'Kenzic and _ Tom Duncan, went down,.with the S.toutfyogel party, but they'.stood to. their colors and came up again, and whether it be under a new leader with, a reorganised. party or not the duty of true .Liberals now is "to. stand- by the halyards" like patriots and men of fibre. It is rumored that Mr Clark has expressed his intention of supporting Mr Massey'jfather than facing another election..'l give that for.what it>is.worth, :bnt if -it-be true, and 7 those ~be Mr Clark's .principles, the , party' to whom he attaches himself I would have little to boast of. I cannot, .however, imagine the'rrimor to be.true,-for .Mr Clark to ■ aiv knowledge distinctly expressed, himself as.opposed to-Mr Massey on a, vote of want of. confidence,-and on that is-sue-arid that afciie.'-riiaiiy'of ■ the Chalmers folk, espedally in' Port, gave their votes for Mr Clark in preference to Mr Johnson... Mr Clark at the,outset assured friends that he-was a"true-blue Liberal," ajid ifihe. wants .to- retain the respect-of his friends and the confidence of ..the people of he will loyally stand .by, his party .'and not listen to tho voice iof the Conservative siren. He. is a young-'man .and. stands -just now at "the parting of the ways." Will he be true-to-:.the best traditions, of ;party loyalty or. will. he "rat" ?, If. lie'is going.to be true, he should boldly_ take a once, and not allow his i nameto be bandied about as fliat of a. likely '"rat."'.,, ,:;.; . ; ;^'