The Waipawa Mail. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays. THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1886. THREE ACRES AND A COW.

Waipawa Mail, Volume IX, Issue 883, 21 January 1886, Page 2

The Waipawa Mail. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays. THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1886. THREE ACRES AND A COW.

History affords ample evidence of the fact that clap-trap Liberals and Radicals will descend to any political trickery, to gain the support of ignorant men. During the recent elections in England, Borne beautiful little schemes have been brought to light; indeed, the Radicals must have resorted to the most questionable means, in some instances, of procuring the support of the electors. Foremost amongst these, perhaps, is the “Three acres and a cow” cry, which has been set on foot by the grand old man himself, and converted into an inexhaustible fund of political capital by his followers. Partly espousing the principles of Henry George, and chiefly pretending to do so, the Radicals set. it down as a portion of their programme that in event of their assuming power, it would be their aim to divide the land into small sections, so that each agricultural laborer could be endowed with “ three acres and a cow.’ 1 This cry was based on the hypothesis we have indicated, but was of course brought forward as a bait to catch the unwary laborer. To him, three acres of laud seemed an independence, and the Government that would buy him a cow in addition, could surely depend upon his eager support. In bringing forward these proposals for the confiscation of land the Radicals seemed to have ignored the fact ihatthe proprietors of the soil would suffer great injustice ; it mattered not to them who lost, so long as they gained support from the electors ; and still less did it matter how empty were their promises of reform, so long as the working men were ignorant enough to believe them. The following discussion is supposed to have taken place in a country town in Lancashire, and is related by one of the English papers : Three farm labourers were discussing the other day the relative merits of Mr Edwards Moss and Dr. Pilkington, and amongst other topics the celebrated present of three acres cropped up. Laborer No, l.said lie should support Dr PilkingtoD, the Liberal candidate, as he would then get three acres and a cow ; and Labourer No. 2. declared he would follow suit. Whereupon No. 3 asked where No. 1 would have hie three acres. “ Why, on th’ field next cop between tli’ barn,” was the reply. “Where will tha’ have thine ?” inquired No. 3 of No 2. “ Ha’s have mine dawn tli’lane in th’ field aside th’ Rookery,” was the answer. “ And what will ye both plant your fields wi”? was the next question, and the simultaneous reply was “ Prates !” Then No. 1 said to No, 3. “ Tha has axed us where we’d ’ave ours, waere wilt ta ’ave thine ?” I’m not havin’ ony,” was the response. “ Not have ony ! Why ?” “ Cos I shall come and get th’ praties.” “ Thou wilt na,” says No. 1. “Nay, thou wilt na," echoes No. 2. “I shall tho,” continues No. 3 “ for L’ave as much roite to get yoar praties as yoa ’ave to takt’ land fro th’ lord o’ th’ manor 1” The argument which No. .3 adduced ic sufficient to shew that Ilodge would become u demoralised and the opposite of a

law-abiding citizen, if unconstitutional means of dividing property were resorted to by the State. If land is an exception to the general rule of property, the produce of tho soil must be an exception also. If the Radicals can step into the farmer’s homestead and take it from him, so can Hodge step into his neighbour’s three acre paddock and steal his potatoes. The same argument may be extended to almost every commodity on the face of the globe, for it is generally admitted that the soil is the source from which all wealth and property springs. However we may say this for the English Radicals—and it speaks in their favor, though in an extremely doubtful way—it is probable that they never meant their cry of “ three acres and a cow” to be anything more than a cry, and that their main object was not so much to settle the working man quietly down upon a piece of land as to secure seats in Parliament by means of his vote. It may be said in explanation of the quotation we have made that Mr Edwards-Moss was the Conservative candidate for Southport, and Dr Pilkington his opponent (in the Liberal interest) for the same seat. But the working-men of England are not always so easily led, as the following account will shew:—

A few days ago a certain laboring man gave a promise to a canvasser of the Conservative camp chat he would vote for Mr. Edwards-Moss. A few days afterwards Bill o’Birkdale was met by the redoubtable Tory canvasser, who inquired—- “ Well. Bill you are still loyal to EdwardsMoss, eh?”

“ Nay, nay, I’ve leet on a better thing thuu that. T’Liberals are going to give me three acres and a cow for my voce. So a’ll vote for Dr Pilkington,” said Bill o’Birkdale.

‘•Tha’s surely not such a daft haddock as to believe such a cock and bull tale as that?”

“ Ic’s all right, they promised faithly. They meant business.” “ Well, now, if they really meant business, Bill, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to ask them to post the cow down first, as a matter of good faith ?” “ That’s not a bad idea by gum,” so saying the two parted. Not long after Bill o’Birkdale met his would-be three acre-aud a-cowish benefactors, and said—

“ Aye, chaps ; yo might as weel give U 9 that cow now ; a’m main hard up, like ?” What cow ?” asked the Radical trio of canvassers, grinning from lug to lug. “ Why, didn’t yo say yo would give us a cow and three acres if a’d vote for Pilkington ?”

“It does’nt mean that we should give you a real cow and three acres now ; iu fact we were only joking,” explained the Radicals to the chapfallen Bill, amid much merriment, whereupon Bill o’ Birkdale left them a sadder but politically wiser man. “ But you’ll vote for the Doctor, Bill ?” roared the laughing Rads. A voice echoed through the dark arches of the Boulevards—

“ Ah, ah ! Nay, nay ; a’vv wuz only joking ! A’wll plump for Edwards-Moss !”

Radical tableaux ! [Curtain. It may be remembered that only a few years ago a radical cry was raised in Hawke’s Bajq which had for its keynote the “bursting-up” of large estates. Mr W. C. Smith, who was at the time wooing the favors of the Waipawa constituency, made many converts by his vague allusions to a policy that would compel the owners of land in blocks of anything over a few hundreds of acres, to put it in the market for sale. By this means it was shewn in some wonderful way that the working man could become the occupier of a small farm in the course of time. This was a most tempting programme, and the result was that a majority of the electors crowded round MiSmith’s standard of “ taxing on a sliding scale.” But Mr Smith got into the House, and the working men did not get the large estates burst up, and Mr Smith has not even moved in the direction of obtaining a land tax on a sliding scale. The second quotation might be aptly paraphrased thus, now that wo are on the eve of what may be another election : “Aye, chaps,” to the “Liberals,” “yo might as well set about fixin’ up that slidiu’ scale bizniz, and bust up the squatters’ places so that I can get a piece of land.” “ What slidiu’ scale bizniz ?” asks the socalled Liberal canvasser, grinning from ear to ear. “ Why, didn’t yo say yo would bust up all the big estates it I voted for Smith ?” “ It doesn’t mean that we should really put the set on the big bugs ; in fact we were only joking,” explain the so-called “ Liberal ” agitators amid much merriment, whereupon Bill of leaves them a sadder but politically a wiser man. “ Rut you’ll vote for Smith Bill,” roar the laughiug agitators. A voice echoes through the stillness of the bush, “ Ah, ah ! nay, nay ! a’w wuz only joking ! A’wll plump for Tanner !” So-called “Liberal” tableaux ! Curtain. The Rev. E. H. Granger will hold Divine service (with Holy communion), at AslileyClinton, ou Sunday next, January 24th. Mr Felix Maguire is spoken of as likely to oppose Major Atkinson for Egmont at the next general election. An American paper says that the newspaper that is nothing but sensational is a blot upon our civilisation. Archbishop Whately was one day asked if he rose early. He replied that once he did, but he was so proud of it all the morning, and so sleepy all the afternoon, that he determined never to do it again. The secretary of the Waipawa County Hospital sends us the following return for the week ending 16th January. INSG : Patients in Hospital, 14 males, 0 female ; received during the week, 3 males, 0 female ; discharged, 1 male, 0 female. St. Leon’s Circus and the Strasburg Clock are both in Westport at the present time. We notice from the local paper that Madame Summerhayes, who formerly resided in Napier, is also in the same town, acting as pianist to a comedy company. At a meeting recently, Mr Macandrew, M.H.R., made the remark that there was no legislature where more gentlemanly lines of conduct were observed than in the New Zealand Parliament. Mr Macandrew was evidently referring to the elegant attack which tnc member for Waipawa made on Mr Ormond last session.

Mr Ballance, when addressing his constituents recently stated that he believed that subsidies to local bodies could not be continued and that they could not be voted next year. Such an innovation would only be characteristic of the Government. Unstable and always veering with the slightest change of the political atmosphere, it introduces one system and abolishes another, only to repeat the innovation at the first opportunity. It is rather absurd to look to a Ministry of this kind for good and beneficial government.

The English Courts do not agree with those of New York in respect to the liability of news agents for the matter contained in the papers they circulate. In the Marie Prescott libel suit against the American News Company it was held by the New York Courts that the company was responsible as a publisher for tjie libelous article contained in the papers it circulated, lu a similar case the English Courts hold that the news agents were not liable without proof that they had actual knowledge of the libel at the time of selling the paper. The opinion says : “ The defendants had not writen or printed the paper, and the utmost that could be said was that they disseminated a libel. Nn doubt, if they had had knowledge of what was in the paper, and had disseminated it, they would have been held to have published the libel ; but here the jury distinctly found that they had not known the contents of the paper.” In effect, the jury found the defendants innocent disseminators. If the law was otherwise, every vendor of newspapers in the Kingdom would be liable. Such a law would be unreasonable and unjust. Whenever the ruling of the law is such, the people may be sure it forms no part of the actual law of England.” This is sound common sense, which the New York decision was not.— Free Press,

Messrs Cockburn and Edwards, the successful tenderers for another three miles of rabbit fence at the boundary of the province have commenced work already.

Mr Jesse Herbert started from Wainui on Tuesday with a large mob of ewes for his Hawkliurst station, near Masterton. Drovers complain that they lose a great many sheep on the road, owing to the absence of water. We notice that Mr Labouchere, member for Northampton, recently offended an audience he was addressing at Portsmouth, by making scurrilous allusions to the Royal family. The newspapers say “ a scene of the wildest confusion ensued, the audience rising and giving cheer after cheer for Her Majesty Queeu Vietoria.”

According to a Wanganui paper something like a regular haud-to-haud encounter took place at Bulls during the race for the Mar-ton-Rangitikei Handicap. Something went, wrong between M‘Corraick, who was riding Speculation, and Holmes, who was on Bayard, and the latter could be seen, as they raced along the back stretch, plying his whip on M‘Cormick, who evidently did not relish being treated to a dose of whalebone. When they came in to weigh Holmes laid a protest against M‘Cormick for foul riding, which was sustained, and the latter was suspended for the meeting, while Holmes was cautioned.

Sister Cipriani, another nun escaped from the Mahdi, arrrived at Akaslia from El Obeid, attended by a black lay sister aud a Greek, probably the man with whom the form of marriage was gone through for the sake of protection. Their guide was called Abdel Gabareh, of the Kababeesh tribe, who took them by the desert route from well to well, carefully avoiding Dongolo and the other towns ou the Nilfi. The journey was performed in fifteen or sixteen days. By the chart it will be seen that there is a route which skirts Dongola, so that one can go from Omderman without touching the Nile. They say that Omderman has now a large population, aud has become a second Mecca. Arabs from all parts and from great distances go to visit the sliriue of Mahomet Achmet—the '* Mahdi.” There was a large body of dervishes there.

The saying, “Appeal from Phillip drunk to Phillip sober,” originated from an incident in the life of Phillip 11., King of Macedon, the fatherof Alexander the Great. Phillip was undoubtedly a great man, but all men, great and small have their weaknesses, and he was a great drunkard. One day, when rising flushed from his wine, he was called upon to decide a lawsuit, and in his bibulous condition he decided it unjustly, whereupon the losing party cried, “ I shall appeal against your judgment.” “ Appeal ?” thundered the enraged king, “ and to whom will you appeal ?” “To Phillip sober,” was her reply. The wisdom of the appeal was justified by the result, for when Phillip had become sober—perhaps wheu he had enjoyed a good night’s rest, and plenty of the Macedonian equivalent for “ B. aud 5.,” he discovered his mistake, and reversed his judgment.

A young lady of Philadelphia named Morgan, has golden curls reaching nearly to her waist, and skin as black as ebony. Until within a short time ago she was noted for her beauty, and moved in the best circles of society. It was finally discovered that for some time she had beeu an habitual arsenic eater. Steps were takeu to overcome the unnatural habit, shortly after which she became seriously ill, and for a long time her life was despaired of. upon her recovery a remarkable change in her complexion was noticed; Dark yellow spots began to show themselves on her face. These rapidly extended and grew darker, until she was as black as an Ethiopian. The young lady is otherwise iu good health, but is, however, morbidly sensitive, and has isolated herself from the world, refusing to see even her most intimate friends.

A dramatic paper published in New York, thus describes the staff of the Herald : “Anybody who knows anything at all about the New York Herald , knows that it is at present conducted on what may be called a basis of the strictest intemperance. That is, everyone connected with it, no matter in what capacity or position, gets wildly and helplessly drunk as often as he possibly can without doing permanent violence to liis tenure of office. The intellectual department of our esteemed contemporary has always got a head ou it, so to speak. When the managiug editor returns to a brief interval of sobriety, his junior next iu rauk proceeds to ‘get full’ as speedily and as thoroughly as he can, aud so on, until, from the top of the ladder to its lowest round, the long gamut of intoxication has beeu completely run.” We received a telegram from our Wainui correspondent last evening, which, on account of the pressure on our space we cauuot publish in full. It states that two young men, Rolands and Armstrong, were charged ou Tuesday before Messrs Hunter and Price, J P.’s, at Porangahau, with disorderly conduct. They were fined 10s each, with costs £2 10s iu all, or seven days imprisonment. Rolands submitted, to being locked up, but yesterday lie paid the fine and was released. A man named Croxton was charged with furious riding at Wainui on the same day, and was fined £2os and costs, amounting to £3 Is. The prisoner was locked up for one night, but paid next morning. Our correspondent recommends that a constable should be located at Porangahau, as the expense of visiting that interesting little place so often must be considerable.

At a meeting of the Education Board held at Napier on Tuesday, the appointment of Mrs N. H. Hall as sewing mistress of the Kumeroa school was approved. In reply to an application for £SO from the Makatoku committee to repair damages recently done by bush fires, it was decided to ask for a more detailed statement, to be forwarded to Wellington. The resignation of Mr W. F. Howlctt, Makaretu, was accepted; it was agreed to give the Hampden school ai. assistant mistress, and also to grant it £4 for sinking a well. It was resolved to grant an assistant mistress to the Dauevirke school, aud Miss Kate Harrison was appointed mistress to the Onga Onga school. It was decided to allow an application for a school at Blackburn to stand over until funds were available. The application stated that there were 34 children of school age in the settlement, and that Mr Johansen would give a site in a central position.

The Pall Jlall Gazelle says : Bright’s letter on Ireland is one more instance of this curious inability to any longer apply his old principles to new questions. For half a century Mr Bright has beeu contending for the l ight of people to manage their own affaiis, and for the expediency of leaving them to do so, because they are sure to know better than anyone else what they waut and what is really good for them. But when it comes to the Irish of to-day, Mr Blight changes all that, and discovers that the countrymen whom they trust are their worst enemies, and their English politicians whom they hate their only proper leaders. This is the kind of utterance on Mr Bright’s part which gives real point to Lord Randolph Churchill’s doubt whether he was proposing a latter-day Liberal or a primitive Tory.” The policy, or rather want of policy of the present Government is spoken of in the following terms by the Rangitikei Advocate : The Stout-Vogel Government aw evidently fishing for a policy. They arc lilse the historic candidate, who exclaimed. “ Thim’s my sintiments ; if they don’t suit they kiu be altered.” First 'of all, the “ boss ” of the Ministry put forward a programme in his celebrated Tuapcka manifesto, which was carefully marked “ Non-Minis-terial.” In this deliverance, Sir Julius Vogel went “ the whole hog.” He declared in favor of extravagant borrowing ; to him a ten million loau seemed the merest of trifles ; he advocated a wholesale system of Protection as being pne of the very best means of getting riel of the existing depression. Then came the nominal “ boss ” of the team, the Hon. Robert Stout. In his address at Dunedin, the Premier declared agaiust reckless borrowing, and asserted that any borrowing sanctioned by him would have to be done very cautiously. Here he differed toto coelo from the Colonial Treasurer, but like his master he marked his utterance as “ non-Ministerial.” Next came the Hon. Mr Ballance, Minister of Native Affairs aud Lands. He gave still another programme, but carefully underlined it “nonMinisterial.” His views do not accord either with those expressed by Ml 1

Stout, or those enuuciated by Sir Julius Vogel. They are, however, much nearer those of his real chief than those of his nominal chief—mor? like those of Vogel than those of Stout. It must be manifest to the merest tyro iu politics that the Government are cleverly fishing for a policy. Three separate programmes have been laid before the electors by the three most important members of the Gabinet. These will be exhaustively criticised by the Press aud the public, and when this operation has beeu completed, Ministers will select from the various programmes those items which are most likely to “ fetch ” the country.