The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1896. COLONIAL TREASURER.

Opunake Times, Volume IV, Issue 187, 19 June 1896, Page 2

The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1896. COLONIAL TREASURER.

The exposure of the affairs of Mr J. G. Ward has come as quite a shock during the past week. In the circumstances there was no course left open for him but to resign all his portfolios, and this he has done. According to his own statement he has sacrificed his private opportunities on the altar of public fame, which, to our way of thinking, is a very foolish thing to do, and redounds very little to his credit, and certainly very much less to bis common sense. It is a recognised rule that men who undertake public duties must make certain sacrifices, but when they go to the length of ruining themselves and their families they overstep all bounds of sense and prudence. Mr Ward, personally, is the recipient of great sympathy from political friends and foes alike, but such sympathy is not a marketable commodity, and is a totally unproductive commercial asset. That the management of the affairs of the J. G. Ward Association is a commercial scandal of the gravest nature there can be no question of doubt, after reading the strictures of Mr Jus-, tice Williams. Where we consider Mr Ward erred was in not resigning his public position as soon as he found himself hopelessly insolvent, of which stale of his affairs he must have been cognisant for some considerable time back. He gives his assurance that his straightened circumstances aud heavy indebtedness to the Colonial Bank in no way influenced his actions in regard to the banking legislation, and according to Parliamentary usage such assurance must be accepted, but judged by the standard of human nature it will be hard to get the general public to swallow it. When replying in the debate on the Banking* Bill in Parliament last August, in referring to certain remarks made inside and outside the House on his private affairs, by Mr Geo. Hutchison, he said: “If the honorable member wants to discuss private affairs I give him a fair invitation to do so, and I am prepared to go to his own district in connection with Some of his private affairs and discuss them there, and I shall be very glad for the honorable gentleman to come to my district and discuss my private affairs. ... . . The honorable gentleman has referred to my private affairs continually. I have even h< ard during the last one or two days lobby rumors regarding my private affairs. I have heard of statements, indirectly made, the most untrue statements, absolutely lying statements, concerning myself by some people who have been busying themselves about matters for the purpose of damaging me. Those statements are absolutely untrue and contrary to fact.” Considering the state his affairs must have been in last August be was a bold man to challenge a discussion of thorn in his district or elsewhere, and if worse statements wore made by Mr Hutchison than the facts recently brought to light warranted, then it is beyond us to imagine what they could have been. After his resignation was accepted he made a statement in the House, chiefly devoted to a bitter attack on those whom he deems his political enemies, aud threw out insinuations that they were in as bad a fix as himself. He singled Mr Duthie out for a full flow of venom, but apparently he struck a snag, as Mr Duthie told him he could go to his bankers and get what information he wanted as to his position. He then dragged up the dead and buried past, introducing the names of members of a past administration, who were alleged to be guilty of malpractices in connection with banking and the Government, but whether guilty or not they paid the penalty by being hurled from power by an indignant public. Did the party to which Mr Ward belongs show them any mercy ? Did they ever try to suppress one tittle of evidence of a personal nature or otherwise ? No ; they followed them relentlessly until some of them secured peace in their graves, and now the names of others are sought to be dragged by him into public view again. Why then should charity be extended to him, and most disgraceful proceedings be suppressed

when he and those in league with him resort to such tactics. The code of morality of the present Government is a very unique one. Instead of holding that an untarnished name is the greatest honor that a statesman can have, they are quite content so long as they can exclaim, “ Well, the the others did it too.” His colleagues feel the blow dealt them by his downfall very keenly, as he was a tower of strength to them. Personally be was a great favorite with all parties in the House, he was a keen debater, and what was most necessary of all to such an administration, he was a ’chaser whom no obstacle could stop.