Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1896. THE PUBLICAN PURSE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5498, 30 November 1896, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1896. THE PUBLICAN PURSE.

On Friday last we commented on the publican purse in connection with Mr Hogg's candidature, we gave a rougß estimate of the number of sovereigns it was expected to contain, we referred to the election cabs and the election advertisements, which it was intended to defray, and we also described the admirable manner in which our local contemporary was blending the publican committee with Mr Hogg's election committee a blend which was thought to be quite a hot cup of tea for the Opposition. We also asked our local contemporary to inform ns whether the publican cabs on election day were intended to conyey Mr Cameron's or Mr Hogg's supporters to the poll. Wo are still waiting for an answer! On Saturday we were told to look out for one which would crush us, We were assured that our local contemporary on the previous evening had been on the warpath, that ales, wines, spirits and affidavits of the best brands were boing retailed in certain premises and that after taking some of the latter it sat up till a late hour with a wet towel round its head distilling gall for our. benefit. When our local contemporary went to press and with fear and trembling we scanned its columns this is all—absolutely all—that wo found:— Our hoaxed locahontemporary is trying to back out from his allegations regarding the publicans' £o by publishing a lengthy subterfuge of illogical assertions. It iB unfortuoate for him that the agent who so ojsily cot him into the trouble oannot as easily get him out of it. Surely our local contemporary has something more to say for itself than this! We repeat our allegations, and it asserts that we back out of them? We will back out of them if i it can be shown that they are untrue, i but no attempt is made in this ' direction! Cannotitgetafewmove ' affidavits to.help it out of its diffi- 1 culty, cannot it explain a little more clearly what the publican's purse is | really intended for, and who com- , posed the little manifesto which it | published the other day. ' i Our local contemporary need not < drop the question like a hot potato j and go off at a tangent in another ! directioi). Wo note that it has J published a word to Prohibitionists, ; which runs as follows: .

We are pleased to see that the Prohibitionists o! Master ton have decided to take no part in the election of a member lor the district. This is . a proceeding which will ensure tor them reaped, if not snpport. In tbe tVairarapa the same course is being pursued. Tho quostion o! general politics

has really nothing to do with Prohibition, although it must oo a linitted that the Liberal party is the only party which has tothepo 1 ,0 SUbmi ' ' he ,UoSli ° n No doubt our local contemporary will be pleased to see Prohibitionists either standing aloof from the present election or riding in the cabs which the publicans have so generously provided for their accommodation. It is just the sort of thing that the Rov. L. M, flsitt would advise them to do! We wonder itdoesnot at onco say, " Dilly'! dilly! come and bo plucked!" The publicans, with the aid of our local contemporary, are endeavouring to return a member, and tvliy in the name of all that is fair should not the Proliibitionists endeavour to return a member ? We do not expect Proliibitionists to contribute five pounds "••piece towards cabs, but we do not expect them to run away when the publicans aro trying to knock them into a cocked hat. Of course in 1893 Mr Hogg managed to run with the hare—it was a Prohibition hare—and huntwith the hounds—they were publicans' hounds! But on this occasion be is unable to do this, and has had to choose between the two. He has never hesitated, but has cast in his lot with the publicans, and we have every reason to believe that the publicans are grateful. The Premier and his supporters generally have declared themselves on the side of the trade, and publicans' purses are common throughout the Colony. In some electorates 'it is said that can-

didates have been so overcome by this connection that they have been on several occasions unable to spoak. j We do not blame the publicans for fighting their own battle, but they are demoralising Government candidates and a good deal of scandal is in the air. Does our local contemporary maintain that the publicans' pursis have nothing, to do with the General Election, and if so does he expect people to believe'such a remarkable statement. The money must be spent in the interests of some candidate, and perhaps on the whole it is better for our contemporary to be silent when we .refer' to facts that plainly indicate' that in the Masterinn contest the money will be spent in the interests of Mr Hogg. It was rather a clever move on the part of our local contemporary to get a big haul of this kind oi|t of thepublicaus, but it is too late in tho day now to throw dust in the eyes of people as to the real meaning and intent of the publicans' purse.