THE CHRISTCHURCH ELECTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10599, 20 February 1896, Page 2

THE CHRISTCHURCH ELECTION.

TO. TUX KDITOtt.

Sir,—ln the intense feeling of relief which all really patriotic New Zealanders feel at tha crushing defeat of the Ministry at tbis election, ib must not be forgotten that that defeat was really uue to the Temperance party, just as the success iof the Ministry at the last general electioa was due to them, and the weight tbey threw into the Government scales—a weight made decisive by tbe recent acquisition of ths woman vote.

What,'l desire to point out to the "Nationalist" pjrty—whom I hope I may also stylo the. party of order, honest finauce, and honest administration—is that they cannot expect the Temperance party to sacrifice themselves at the geueral election as they have st Christchurch. There are two minority organisations, each complete and powerful, acting on every constituency ond bargaining with either- or both of the two chief political parties for their block vote. The one is the Roman Catholic Church, the other the Temperance party. Both thes9 parties avowedly put aside all regard whatever for tbo qualifications—moral, social, or political—of the candidate. Their one question is, "Will you pledge yourpelf to obey the order of our orgioißation in all matters relating to its pirticnlar objects ?" This may seem a strong statement, but no man can run over tbo roll of the present House aad honesbly dispute it. What the Nationalist party have to do is to see'how far they can honestly go with both or either of'these two,' and how far they can brine them to subordinate the most extravagant o'c their demands to the first consideration of all government and legislation—" tho good of the people" ; to consider v?ha- bbey can do to induce these two minorities to see that the interest of all is tho greatest of all interests, and tbat it is nothing short of treason to tbe people, nothing short of a most criminal sacrifice of the welfare and happiness of the great mass of the men, women, and children of tbis. colony if, for the sakei of a traitorous pledge from an ignorant or unprincipled candidate, they put in Buch an one to make our laws, or give their' support to measures ruinous to our finance, destructive of, Our commercial character, and demoralisingto all the best qualities of industry and. energy in tho people, and to Ministers who, under-, pretence of; being the people's friends, prove themselves their worst enemies, who neglect all those'solid reforms which would give health, comfort, and enjoyment of life to the workers in town ahd country, who degrade the whole civil service, disorgauise the palice, and wreck the finances of the colony. It is doubtful if a man exists iv New Zealand with the ability, courage, and with the power of explaining and advocating the measures, drastic and farreaching as they must ba, absolutely necessary to such a fair adjustment of taxation and reform of the whole system of finanoe as shall at once relieve the burdened taxpayer, lighten the, springs pf industry,, aud restore courage and confidence to trade aud enterprise. But such a man never will be placed in power until the interests of factions and parties are subordinated to the public good.

The Temperance party above all ought to recognise the paramount importance of a complete reorganisation of. the police force. Nothing short of a wholesale and drastic change in a large part of the personnel of the whole force, beginning at the very top, will serve the cause of order and efficiency. The police constable iustead of being the servant of the people has become tbeir master. The constable takes the crown of tbe road and the citizen bas to move to the kerb.

Bub tbe police are only a single instance cited because they are so prominently before us, and because no single department acts for good or evil so directly, and, if for evil, so dangerously on the working claes. It is unquestionable that the evil leayen is permeating all the civil service, which is rapidly being demoralised.

Let the Nationalist party reckon thus witb these two organisations, and endeavour to bring them to a better mind, for herein lies the wellbeing of this colony.—l am, &c,

Salus Populi Sufbeiia Lex,

February 15,