Splitting the Liberal Vote.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6989, 18 October 1890, Page 3

Splitting the Liberal Vote.

fFrom the Lyttellon Times.] We note that the usual efforts are being made to divide tho Liberal vote in this part of the Colony. Sometimes the course adopted is to play on the ambition or credulity of this or that would-be candidate. If that fails, strenuous efforts are made to get electors to record their votes on some side issue. We note, in particular, that the licensing question is to be made use of in this way. Certain amateur electioneering agents have been for some time at work in the Ministerial interest to induce a combination of enthusiastic teetotallers and Orangemen to run a candidate hereabouts all to themselves. It is needless to say that thin advice is not given with the slightest hope or wish that such a candidate should get in. The design is that he should take away enough votes from the weakest of the Liberal candidates to get the strongest Conservative in. We can only urge upon all sincere Liberals not to be made catspaws of in this way. The licensing laws are not likely to be substantially altered for Borne years to come. Depriving the Liberal majority of a seat here will certainly do nothing to hasten such a change. What it would do would be to excite a very strong feeling against such professed Liberals as were concerned in playing into the enemy's hands, and damaging their own party, without succeeding after all in returning a Temperance candidate.