FRANKLIN.

Observer, Volume XVIII, Issue 1093, 9 December 1899, Page 3

FRANKLIN.

Jump, Jim Craw !

Finlay Wilson, the mountebank politician and ex-pirson, is amusing the electors by his fertility of resource in wriggling out of every hole in which he is cornered. His only possible recommendation to any section of the Franklin electors is that he binds himself hand and foot to Mr Seddon. To morrow, if it suited his purpose, he wonld just as eagerly fall down and worship Capt. Russell. His opinions seem to accommodate themselves with delightful ease and elasticity to changing prospects. Have we not a laughable example of this in his application for the secretaryship of the Auckland Provincial Electoral Committee, with its comfortable little salary ?

The Star makes a desperate butlndicrons attempt. to explain away Finlay's inconsistency by saying that in childlike innocence of the politics of the Committee he only attended one of its meetings, and when he found out of what colour they were be never went back. But the testimony of Mr W. Read Bloomfield, Chairman of the Committee, is damning. He says that two months after Mr Finlay Wilson failed to get the secretaryship he 1 attended a meeting of the general committee, spoke to and supported the scheme of organisation,' which was laid before it and adopted. In other words, he assisted to build up a scheme for the Opposition party in Auckland only 15 months ago, by

which they might compass the downfall of the very Government whose livery he has now donned. _Talk about Jumping Jim Crow after that ? la a district of small farmers like Franklin, the electors are gravely asked to withdraw their confidence from a man of their own number like Mr W. F. Maasey, who thoroughly understands and is identified with their interests, and trust themselves to a political nondescript like Mr Finlay Wilson, who hasn't a single thing in common with them. Could anything be more preposterous. Mr Massey ia a member of superior ability, -devoted to his constituency, ever foremost in advocating the interests of his district and province, faithfnl to his principles, honest, upright, and conscientious, and a man who never deuites by a hair's breadth from the line of duly. Franklin is represented by a practical farmer, who is the fearlesß champion of its rights, and who miseea no opportunity of promoting its advantage, and yet it is asked to throw him over for a mere carpetbagger who yesterday offered his services to the Opposition, and to-day transfers them to the Government. Franklin surely has got beyond that stage of policical verdancy.