Page 2 Advertisements Column 3

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 4039, 8 December 1881, Page 2

Ladtrbtisbmbnt.] ME SPKIGHT'S CANDIDATUEE. TO THE THAMES ELECTORS. . fTTHE candidature of Mr Speight for -*- the Thames awakens reflections not of the most pleasing kind. Broadly and distinctly underlying them all is the expediency of our creating and fostering J again a class of professional politicians. 1 Tbe men who take this r6le of life as a 1 means of obtaining a livelihood are to be carefully watched in all communities, and repressed where the population is sparse. As a rule they are scarcely free from the strict operation of the Vagrant Actbeing those who neither toil nor spin. They consider the public purse fair game to stalk, and they lie in wait from year to year to watch a favorable opportunity for making a raid on the Treasury. Our Foxs, Bells, Featherstones, and Fitzherberts, have been men of this type; men who were enabled to find an easy means of living by tbe passing of the Constitution Act. The evil of delegating the conduct of our affairs to men of this class has been painfully apparent in the history of New Zealand. Poverty may have rendered them accessible to bribes, while their knowledge of the difficulty of the public gaining a key to the causes of their actions has been the palliative they have applied to their seared consciences for yielding to corruption. The man who is gaining a livelihood by his business, and. who is willing to devote a portion of his time to public affairs is more to be trusted than Henry Bunny, Reader Wood, or William Speight. He knows that he must prosper with the prosperity of the country, and can obtain no permanent benefit from the demoralisation of its administration. The professional politician, which Mr Speight aspires to become, is only concerned about retaining in office the party with which he acts, unless be resembles the Vicar of Bray, being willing to support any Government that will support him. The welfare of the country is to him only a secondary consideration. His motto is, " Myself Fibst." There are too few of us in New Zealand to be called upon to support an idle class. If we have done so in the past, let us not do so again. If William Speight for instance, would work during the recess, his candidature could be condoned — but your professional politician will not work, and to beg he is not ashamed. At times in the exigencies of party warfare a man has to be chosen out of the ranks to fill a subaltern position. If is gazetted promotion, however, is only achieved on his showing himself fitting to fill the place he was told off to occupy. When the private is made to do a corporal's duly, he does not as yet consider that he has a stripe on his sleeve. This is the mistake that the would.be member for this constituency has made. The Liberal party, at the last election, wanted a man to fill a certain seat, and they chose Mr Speight for that purpose. They might have chosen the town crier, or the city nightman, but neither of those functionaries if so chosen would have forgotten that they were thrust on the electorate, and were not the choice of the people. If the Liberal party "told off" Mr Speight-to represent the Thames at' the present time, the election would be different entirely, but no such selection has been made. Mr Speight has been once sent to Parliament, and would like to return. This is the whole theory of his election. His qualifications for a candidate are all of a negative kind. His main merit is that he did not vote against the party and the policy he was directed to uphold. A man who does bis duty only has no claims to be canonized. Mr Speight can speak on any subject for any length of time. It matters not to him that be knows nothing .of what he is talking about. In such a case he is more fluent than usual. Dr Wallis can do tbe same thing—for that matter most professional men cau. It would be an un« kindness to Mr Speight, it must be remembered, to send him again to Parliament. It will destroy his usefulness as a private citizen. He will take to politics as a profession, and thus avoid learning or practising some useful trade, and by bo doing adding to the wealth, aud the resources of the country. There are forests to hew for (he stalwart, and clothes to make for the man of deft fingers in New Zealand, and the hewer of wood or the drawer of water to most minds is a more reputable oitizen than the professional politician, which Mr Speight aspires to become. Elector.

A. Cookson, jeweller, haring removed to more convenient premises, No. 14, Brown street, next door to Mr Burra, stationer, begs to state that he is still prepared to execute all orders entrusted to him in his usual work* manlike style, and takes tbie opportunity of most respectfully thanking his friends and patrons for their liberal support since commencing business, and hopes to still me<it that support by strict attention to business, combined with superior and practical workmanship—A. Cooksok, jeweller, Fo. 14, 43ttfrtU street.-*-[ADSi.].