ELECTION NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5733, 28 November 1896, Page 6

ELECTION NOTES.

o Sir Eobert Stout, who has properly boen represented as supplying the brains of the Opposition Party, is so much quoted just now by the Conservatives that his views on one or two of the important problems now before the electors cannot fail to be of general interest. Speaking at Dunedin on the eve of the general election of 1890, when the present Liberal Party was in opposition, Sir Eobert said : — It was not hard to tell who were, and who were not, Conservative candidates, from the Bay of Islands to Invercargill. Who was it that tho big companies supported? Did they' support anyone' in the present Opposition ? Not one. Who were those at tho back of the Electoral League but thoso who were at the head of the Conservatives ? Were they not trying to get some to vote on the temperance question and some on the Bible-in-schools question, so as to spMt up the Liberal vote and make it ineffectual *• * * He did not say that the' Conservatives had not the interests of the colony at heart, but he did say that they were mistaken in their policy, and he would ask the people if they believed in the lines laid down by th,e Liberal Party in New Zealand not to be afraid to cast their votes for that party, and not to allow any side issue to be raised and dust cast in their eyes. It was (Sir Eobert went on to say) the Liberal Party alone that could give impetus to the new ideas that were springing vp — ideas that must be met, but met carefully and cautiously. Tlicre must be no revolution, for revolutions only threw things back ; but they must proceed along the line of reform prudently, carefully looking to the future. That was what true Liberalism meant. Ho" begged of them to think of things and to act as men, and to allow nothing to lead them from the right path. If they did this they would not onlj* never regret it, but he believed would proclaim to the colony that Dunedin at least was Liberal to the core — that is, had taken up what might be termed the new platform of social life, and intended to go forth and help those who were trying to benefit this colony and to put it in an entirely new and better position. The Hon John M'Kenzie is so confident of winning his election that he is going next week to enlighten the electors in other parts of the colony regarding the Woburn purchase and other matters upon which Captain Eussell ha 3 been misinforming them. The Oaniari. Mail has the following as to the probable result of ihe contest : — " What sort of a show does John Duncan stand for Waihemo ? " asked one elector of another in our hearing last night. " Oh, he'll be second," was the prompt response. The delicate care expressed for the candidate's feelings in this tactful method of implying defeat is worthy of record. A State school-teacher writes: — Fellowteachers, you must be busy during the i next few days influencing voters in favour i of the party who have supported the State system in, the past. Eemember that Mr Eolleston and his party reduced the payment from working to strict average, while the present Government havo generously paid us on the working average. Mr Eolleston and his friends also tried to stop the free education at Standard IV. They are also in favour of denominationalism and Catholic claims. Eemembering all these you will easily know for whom to vote on election day. "Why didn't you let tho rotten thing go ?" is a question, says the Hon John M'Kenzie, with wliich the Government has been taunted in regard to the Bank of New Zealand. They didn't let the rotten thing go because it meant not one rotten thinsr, but twenty rotten things. If it were not for the law of libel, he could stand there and give them the names of twenty financial .^institutions which would have come crashing about their ears had they let the bank down. He knew it to be true, and the crisis which would have followed would have ruined the country for years. In the same address Mr M'Kenzie told of having recently met a high and mighty gentleman travelling with racehorses in a train, and on inquiring his name he learned that he