THE CREY SEAT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14015, 23 June 1913, Page 4

THE CREY SEAT.

A Press Association wire states that Mr H. L. Michel has announced himself as a candidate for the, Grey bye-election in the Government interests* This is interesting. The Government first approached Mr Hannan, a prominent Liberal, who intends contesting the election, but bo refused to desert his old party, and thou presturo was brought to bear upon Mr Michel, also a well-known Liberal, who has previously.

sought Parliamentary honours as a candidate for Westland, for I .which seat he was defeated at last election by a very few votes by Mr Sodden. Not the least interesting phase of the election is tin 'act that several Government organs took tho Liberals to task for undue haste in selecting a candidate before tho mortal remains of the' Into Sir Arthur Guinness had been laid to rest. It transpires, howIvor, that the political indecency was on the part of the self-styled Reform Party whose repreieutativo (the Hon. Alexander Lawrence Ilerdman) endeavoured to win aver Mr Hannan before he approached Mi .Michel. 'So much for the methods of thosi, who profess to support clean Government. As the Southland News remarks, then cannot bo a really clean thought in tin minds of people who conceive snob stories, uor in the minds of, those who repeat 01 publish them except La condemn tlw authors. The Reformers ..persist in vitiating the atmosphere wherever they participate in a political struggle, but in this instance,they have obviously-gone'too far, and the odium will attach to themselves and seriously prejudice their cause. Commenting on the same subject, the Napier Telegraph says: It /must surely come as a shock to the unsophisticated among the supporters of “Reform’/ to learn that all its professed concern for political decency—assuming it to he a judge of that virtue—was based upon hypocrisy ,of the most; daring type. Tho answer to the strictures made consists in tho now .admitted fact that it was “Reform” which first approached Mr Hannan, and pleaded with him to come forward as a candidate on behalf of the Government. And the approaches were made by a Minister. Mi Hannan, a Liberal of long conviction—ai' Mr Michel was supposed to be—declined to throw over board his political faith, even to obtain tho support of the Ministry for hia candidature. It was after this he was asked, and agreed, to come forward in the interests of Liberalism. Surely “Reform.” if it is capable of feeling regret, must bo particularly sorry over this business, if for .no other reason than it has been found out.