The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1892.

Timaru Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 5337, 14 January 1892, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1892.

The Wellington election takes place to-morrow, and it may be said truly that the colony has never witnessed a keener political contest, or one m which the issue appeared move doubtful, or finally, one m which more interest has been evinced by tbe community m all parts of New Zealand. Both sides still express tbe utmost confidence, and if promises could m all cases be depended on, both sides ought to win. We are, however, inclined to think that Mr Bell's chances are somewhat the best, and if he wins it will be through tbe defection of some of the Unioniats from the Government party. Why the Government embarked m this struggle m the wny they have done is past our comprehension ; nor can we understand why, if they meant to fight, they did not pick out a much better man than Mr McLean, who has not even the recommendation of being acceptable to tbe labour vote as a whole, and on his own merits is a very poor creature indeed to aspire to the name of a politician and to a seat m the House of Representatives. It -would have been impossible to find m Welliagton a really first-class man willing to run on jthe Ballance ticket, but the . Government might have picked out : a much stronger candidate than Mr McLean. But it was a great mistake for the Government to interfere at all. They should have left the election m tbe hands of the constituency. Both parties would have had candidates, and if the Opposition had been victorious, the result wonld have done tbe Government very little harm. They would simply have lost a vote m the House, and with their substantial majority they could have afforded it. On tbe otbei hand if a supporter of the Government had won the election unassisted by Ministers, they could have pointed triumphantly to the result as a striking proof that m tbe capital of the colon; their policy was approved by a majority of the voters. But the Government chose to act as though it was essential to their very existence to secure the Wellington seat and to force on the constituency such a poor representative as Mr McLean. When the Unions grumbled that they had not been consulted as to the candidate, the Premiei apologised for the omission. It was too late then to make a change, and be and bis colleagues Bet to work to give j Mr McLean all the assistance which laj m tbeir power. They attended him al his meetings and spoke after him, anc on one occasion before him. They explained his views, answered questions for him, and prompted him when he 'was at a loss for something to say, oi was Bhowing signs of making a greatet ass of himself than usual. By these means tbe attention of the whole colony was directed to tbe Wellington election It was no longer an ordinary political contest, but a stand up fight betweer the Government and the opponents oi tbeir rotten taxation proposals. Tbe Government have presented themselves m tbe unenviable position of the champions of a person quite unsuitable to represent any constituency, but especially the constituency o£ one of the most itn portant centres m the colony, bis opponent being a man of ability, of good education, and tbe holder of liberal and I progressive views. His only crime was I tbat be could not swallow the shoddy liberalism of the Government ; and tbe only merit of bis opponent was that he was prepared to be the obedient servant of the Government — a mere puppet m their bands From what we have said it is abundantly clear that after the position they have chosen to take up and after the frantic efforts they have made, the lobs of the Wellington election would be a serious thing to the Government. There would be a sub' stantial diminution of prestige. It would be shown that even m the large centres the Unions were not 'to be depended on to give an undivided support to a Government whose strongest hope has from the first rested on the labour organisations m those centres. By this time we should think that the Government must see tbat they committed a huge blunder by their Bpeoial interference m tbe Wellington election. Even if they win they will get no credit, for they have introduced a bad system by tbeis meddling. We do not go so far as to say that all their speechifying and their prompting of Mr McLean is unconstitutional, still less- that it iB illegal, but it has a very bad appearance, and is not at all complimentary to tbe intelligence of the constituency m whose midst it is carried on.. If the cause is so good and the candidate so meritorious, why not stand aside and allow the constituency to manage tbeir own affairs ? What 1 the Government to fear if their friends of the labour organisations are true, and their candidate the best man P If the manner m which the Government have fought the Wellington election shows nothing else, it at least proves that they are by no means sure of their position, but are, m fact, horribly frightened that those whom they have toadied to and flattered are not to be depended on. We are happy to be able to believe that there is at least some troth m these doleful forebodings, and that even if Mr Bell is defeated to-morrow it will be by so email a majority as to make it oleat that the pretensions of the Government to rest secure m the good-will and confidence of the oommunity are not built on a very firm basis. Hansaed is a very inconvenient record for politicians of short memories or unstable opinions. To snch gentlemen it may be something much worse than an expensive luxury. Its back numbers have often .been quoted to the disadvantage of Mr Ballance, who is always ready to steer a new course when expediency seems to demand it. At present be swears by the land tax, and has plainly threatened to make it a much more formidable engine of oppression and confiscation than even the legislation of last session will permit, if it be brought into operation; The Land and Income Assessment Act is merely "the thin end of the wedge," whioh is to be driven home m due course if the Government remain m power long enough. Yet .there is a speech m Hansard which contains the following words : — " When we had that tax (tbe Land Tax), tbe honourable gentleman (Sjir Georg-j Grey) attempted to inflict a

gross injustice on a large number o£ people m the colony. He went .about talking of a bursting-up tas on the land, and alarming the landowners of the colony." Who wbs the orator, who could thua plainly see the unfairness of Sir George Grey's legislation, and as plainly denounce it ? It was Mr Ballance, who has made a very good beginning of a bursting up policy, and who certainly has succeeded m alarming the land-owners.