A LIBERAL SPLIT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9907, 28 November 1893, Page 2

A LIBERAL SPLIT

— ♦ THE PREMIER AND SIR R. STOUT. CHARGE OF TREACHERY. (Fhom Ouh Own Cobkespondent.) Wellington, November 27. Wellington is much excited now about the lection, but the is3ue is apparently as obscure s ever. I have already indicated my opinion if the probable result and know of no reason to 'aryit. To-day, Mr Bell seems in increasing avour, and may be third, for which place, lowever, I incline to place Mr Macdonald, with flr M'Lean and Mr Bell in very close attendince. It is estimated that of the 16,475 names >n the roll about 11,500 will he polled, and while the problem of the woman's vote makes a Dewildering uncertainty, yet believing the political lady will cling to the knight of the blameless life, I put Sir R. Stout first with a poll of from 4000 to 5000 votes. This will represent the victory of the women and water party, after which should cornea minor triumph for Conservatism, commerce, and liquor in the person of Mr Duthie. Then I fancy there will be a desperate struggle between Mr Bellas the chosen of property and prohibition and Mr Macdonald and Mr M'Lean as champions of labour and liquor. Almost every candidate has held an opsn-air meeting to-day. The Premier was able to be at his office this afternoon, and purposes going to Petone to Mr Wilf ord's meeting. He is said to be unfit to speak, suffering from a relaxed throat and overwork. ™ „ . Later. The Premier purposes, with Sir P. Buckley, being present at Mr Macdonald's meeting to give him tacit support. If so, there will be interesting developments. The Liquor party have ssecured in advance all available vehicles, and the Water party are handicapped in not being able to drive the political ladies to the polling booths. • THE INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS. • Later. In my last message I said if the Premier attended Mr Macdonald's meeting there would probably be interesting developments. They have come. Thiß morning Mr Seddon was circumstantially stated to be exhausted and voiceless and confined to hia room, it was impossible he could speak at any meeting, and would not interfere. This was apparently borne out by the reading of the following letter early in the evening at Sir R. Stout's mass meeting:— '. Premier's Office, . . Wellington, November 27,1893. - _ Gentlemen,—Seeing that the communication from the Electoral Convention intimating the selection of candidates was only received by the Government^ on Fridaylast.it i 3 now too late, I think, to ask the Government to take any action therein. Under the circumstances, I think it should be left to the Liberals of Wellington to say at the ballot box which three candidates shall be elected in the interests of the cause The Government above all things desire that harmony should be preserved and plumping avoided — am*c-i R. J. Seddon. To R. R. Russell, Esq., chairman Liberal and Labour Convention; and -Allan Ward, Esq., president Tradeß Council, Wellington. . ' After Sir R. Stout's meeting broke up it became known that Mr Seddon and Sir P. Buckley had attended at Mr Macdonald's meetj ing, and that the Premier had made a long and^ vigorous speech, dwelling upon the benefits conferred upon the democracy by his party, and exhorting the electors to vote only for those candidates who could be relied upon to support the Government. Sir R. Stout's following are full of resentment at the Premier's action, denouncing it as baseness and treachery, and the Labour representatives have just addressed the following letter to the editor of the New Zealand Times :— Sir,—We are more surprised than we can express to hear that notwithstanding the letter of the Honourable the Premier, which was read at themasa meeting to-night and which we handed to your reporter, the Premier and Colonial Secretary attended Mr T. Kennedy Macdonald's meeting. This we consider a direct slap at the Trades Council and Liberal and Labour Convention, which bodies have done so.much to keep the Liberal Governments. If thePreniierand Colonial becretary wished to attend any meeting the least they could have done was to have given their countenance to the meeting called by our organisations. We doubt if the action of the members of the Government will help to either consolidate or strengthen true Liberalism. .We forbear to characterise their conduct.—We are, sir, &c, P. R. Russell, (chairman Liberal and Labour Convention. • ■ '." Allan Ward. President Trades and Labour Council. Sir. R. Stout at his first meeting at the rink this evening said that the placard issued in the afternoon urging the electors to vote for Messrs Macdonald, M'Lean, and Vogelhad been issued, he was informed, without authority. If it had been issued with authority it was an act of the grossest treachery. : - At iast the time has come apparently for open war between the leaders, and from tonight betwixt the knight and Premier the buttons are off from the foils and henceforth they fight with naked steel.