THE SUPERINTENDENT'S ELECTION.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 576, 4 November 1869, Page 2

THE SUPERINTENDENT'S ELECTION.

(Prom the Colonist.) After a brief ccntest, keener in its feeling on the West Coast than in the Nelson districts, Mr Curtis has been virtually returned by a majority larger than any that ever carried a Superintendent into office. His victory is triumphant; the opposition and antagonism which certainly recently existed to a large extent against him, has faded away as the election day dawned, and the people at large have readily condoned Mr Curtis's faults and mistakes, in order to destroy the chances of either of the two other candidates who, it was supposed, had any chance of success, with the aid of the West Coast. It was felt all along that if Messrs. Akersten and Gibbs both stood Mr Curtis would certainly go in; and this fact, towards the last day, carried over waverers, and those who like to be on the winning side, because it is the winning side. Before the election day, it was evident that Mr Curtis was secure; and most of the few who voted on behalf of the opposition candidates did so, we presume, rather to represent a principle they maintained than in the expectation that Mr Curtis would be ousted. Some, dissatisfied with all the candidates, refrained from voting, and many of those who have swelled Mr Curtis's majority did so to save the Province from what they believed to be unsuitable men. Such is the opinion we have frequently heard expressed. On the list of votes will be found the names of a large number of electors, who have, for a long time, been opposed to Mr Curtis, and they sank their opposition because the other candidates fell short of their requisite standard. Anything more complete than the victory of Mr Curtis is scarcely to be found in the annals of electioneering in this Province. The returns already received show a present clear majority in favor of Mr Curtis of 539, which, we are informed, is likely to be increased by the returns still to arrive from Collingwood, Takaka, and the Amuri, though probably the returns from Ahaura and other distant places on the West Coast beyond the reach of the telegraph, may somewhat lessen the difference in the Massacre districts. At present, not only has Mr Curtis a majority of nearly three to one over the candidate next to him on the poll; but taking all the votes polled, amounting to 1314, he has a majority of 839 against 503, divided among his three —virtually, two —opponents, the proportion being fully eight to five. The incertitude on the West Coast, caused by the running ot two candidates, and that fact of itself spoiled the chance of both. In 1861, out of 928 votes, the late Mr Robinson polled 68-1, leaving only 240 to a man allowed to be better fitted for the office than any one of Mr Curtis's late opponents. But how the friends of both the defeated candidates could be so far out in their calculations, confidently stated, is what we cannot comprehend. Mr Curtis and his supporters expected a majority of perhaps 100 to 150, but certainly they did not dream of one so large as they have achieved. Doubtless much of it is due, first, to the fact that his opponents were not sufficiently known in many parts, and secondly, as we have said, and the result has shown, that they were not deemed fitting men. However there is no disputing the fact that Mr Curtis is now beyond question the chosen man of the people, his sins of omission and commission, and his want of judicious' handling of the West Coast notwithstanding. The contest is at an end ; the public voice has unquestionably pronounced for him, as against those who opposed him; and probably the short struggle that has now closed, together with the fact that great numbers voted lessor him than against the others, will lead him and his executive to see the propriety of avoiding sundry fundamental errors which compelled some men of political principle to act in opposition to such mistakes.