THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O' CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2151, 25 November 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O' CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1875.

We have at last one candidate for election at the hands' of the Thames constituency fairly in the field, and before very long —perhaps before many dayi, or even hours—his example may prore contagious enough to induce others to put an end to some of the rumors now afloat, and declare their intentions also. The first in the field, and it may be fray, is; Mr William Eowe, who briefly announces his intention to stand, without, however, as yet, telling us what principles he intends to advocate, or what men he intends to support if he be returned for the Assembly. Mr W. Sowe simply tells us that he will shortly enlighten us as to his views ; that for the present we must rest content with the knowledge that he believes that these views are.in accordance with the views of " the great majority of this community." That is, Mr Eowe offers himself as a candidate on the understanding that he will support views which he thinks most of the electors approve of, and therefore vote for. And herein Mr Eowe shows himself not different from other men, and telling us this does not tell us much, for it would indeed be strange if Mr Bowe or any one else were to offer himself as a candidate, and at the same time advocate views which he did,mo* jbelieve were in accordance with those of "the; great majority of the community." What theviews of "the great majority''are, we of course, like Mr Eowe, are unable definitely to say ; but believing, as we da believe, that we know pretty well what they are likely to be, we can go a step further than Mr Eowe, and founding a surmise on a surmise, form a pretty correct guess as to what we believe Mr Eowe believes these views to be. Time will,, of course, show whether, we are right, but unless Mr Eowe has much changed since he denounced Provincialism; or what is much same, unless Mr Eowe believes that the great majority—by-the-bye ire should like to know what the little majority is —of this community has; changed, we shall not have Mr Eowe running in double harness with Sir George Grey should the latter stand .for the Thames, unless indeed Sir George Grey accepts the advice of the Advertiser and " modifies "his views in .a manner acceptable to Mr Eowe and the great majority; which is not, on the whole, a, likely thing to happen. What Mr Eowe's notionj of what the people in general want in comparatively; minor matters we have no ground on which to form even a belief. He knows pretty well the general wants of the 7 district, and also pretty well what section or sectiops of the community are particularly desirous of having their wants supplied, and can.,form a pretty good guess as to whether theyare strong enough, and willing enough to carry him

through; it will be time enough when he becomes more definite in his utterances to take notice of them. We cannot help noticing, however, that though the great question on which to decide is the,, at present, all important one of Abolition, Separation, or some form of Provincialism, and that a candidate 'holding' Abolition theories would seem to'be, ipsd j facto, ineligible by a community bound to'] Provincialistic views and vice versa, yet' that this all-important question is in a j greater; or leaser measure shunned by \ many candidates, and that they strive to ensure their election either by promising support to some question of known local interest without announcing any definite views on these subjects, and leaving the constituencies to suppose that they will vote for either side they may be told to— which perhaps is what they are willing to do after all—or else, by attempting to steer a middle course, or what the Advertiser would doubtless call some "modification"of theirviews, they endeavour to unite j two schemes as much opposed to each other as are light and darkness. It is obvious that if candidates are to stand or fall .by questions,,,.of merely loca| interest, and the all-important question of retaining or abolishing the present form of government shelved — as appears to be the wish of those who would invite Sir George Grey to stand for the Thames— the constituencies will be placing themselves in an entirely false position. There are no doubt maqy men who in other respects would be the most desirable men to represent communities —Sir George Grey is an instance in point—but their opinions on the important question ought to be in the first placa clearly and idefiriitely set forward before the electors allow themgelvesT to be swayed by any thought of fancied local advantage to decide whether, they are really, the mon to govern New Zealand as a colony. Merely narrowing the question down to one small local interest is a policy the most suicidal. It is as a colony whole and united that Neiv Zealand must stand or fall, and it is as a colony whole a«id united that she" will make or mar the interests of the. small divisions and subdivisions into which at this moment she is unfortunately split. These things the electors must be clear on before they consider either, the men who offer themselves, or the minor measures, however important these be which they advocate; and unless they are clear on this point, no question of personal or district consideration ought to be allowed to weigh with them. That they will insist on this first of all is to be hoped; that they may insist oh it, is more than possible. At ieast it would appear to be so in the mind of Mr Hunter of Wellington, who, after having been the consistent and firm opposer of the Abolition Bill'during .last session, finding that probably the great majority of the Weilington community took a different yjew of the matter, has been^ndueed to modify hia views to such, an extent that he has changed them altogether, and appears, from his speech telegraphed to us, to be as desperately attached to Abolition, pure and simple, as he was formerly opposed to it. Truly the race of Sir E. Daering, once called the chameleon, is not yet extinct, and variety of colours, like other varieties, has its charms to politicians, especially en the eve of an election. . ■ ;