THE SUPERINTENDENCY. MR LUSK AT C0R0MANDEL.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 211, 16 September 1873, Page 2

THE SUPERINTEND ENCY. MR LUSK AT COROMANDEL.

Mr H. JII. Lu6K addressed the electors at Coromandel on Saturday evening. Dr Horell occupied the chair. The meeting was largely attended. — After speaking upon details with regard to the Go Tern men t of the province, the education tax, and the Coromandel goldfield, in alluding to the personal attacks made upon him by Mr Dargaville, Mr Lusk said : There is one subject gtill to bo dealt with, and it is a very disagreeable one. In this election, for the first time in the history of our elections, slanders and mean insinuations have been indulged in by one of the candidates, and it is now n»y very unpleasant duty to point out to this meeting how mean, how' slanderous, and how utterly devoid of truth and fairness the statements m»de by Mr Dargaville have been. I shall not imitate the disgraceful conduct of that person by prying into the history of his private life and private transactions. I shall not so far lose my self-respect as to make one insinuation against him, but I shall, with your leave take this opportunity of denouncing the meanness and the falsehood which has characterised the itatements systematically niado by Mr Dargaville about myself on every opportunity during the contest. Mr Dargaville began his references to me when he met the electors here by stating that I had said he was a babo m politics ; which might mean that he did not understand the chicanery and the political moves by which men clung to office. If he meant to infer that by political moves or chicanery I had at any time either sought to obtain or to retain office, he insinuated that which he well knew, or might well have known, to be false. For three years the public have had the means of judging of this, and I challenge anyone to say that ho can point to any one act of mine which can iairly be held to give the remotest countenance to such a charge. Mr Dargaville goes on to state that I changed my estimate of the revenue of the province to agree with his own. He is proud, gentlemen of his imaginary triumph — of the certificate of competency which he considers I have given him. Unfortunately it is as utterly the offspring of his imagination as nearly every other so-called statement of fact which he makes. I challenge any man to say that my estimate has ever varied, and it would indeed bo a singular circumstance that I, who have had more to do with the estimates of the rovenue of the province during the past three years than any othor man, should sit at the feet of Mr D. to learn our probable revenue for next year from him. Once more I say it is a piece of fabrication, a wretched attempt to draw credit for himself from an impudent misrepresentation of others. Then, gentlemen, he plunges into finance. He told you how ho would save a great deal upon the estimates, but the moment ho came to particulars he showed his ignorance. Hu first great savings have all dwindled down to an attack on the cost of the Executive. For some reason he (poured out all his anger upon Mr Hur«t,|and accused him of being the Executive, which was false, — of having appointed himielf to be Ooldflolds Secretary, whioh was utterly untrue, and of costing the province £2,160 »-year, which he knew to be false. It id painful to be obliged to u§e Btrong language, but there are no words too emphatic to denounce a falsehood, and scarcely apy \oo strong to reprobate a slanderer. But he has gone further than this. He has accused me of paying my travelling expenses while on election tours out of the public purse, which I believe he knew to be false when lie said it ; of having spent money of the province on making a road to my own property on the North Shore, whioh I am certain, he must have known to be untrue; and, wont of all, he has insinuated that I misapplied Provincial funds to enable mo to buy a.n estate (a fine name for a hou»e and a few acres of ground, gentlemen) at the Lake, and this he said without believing it, and refuted to withdraw when he knew it wni false. These, gentlemen, are some of the statements made by Mr Dnrgaville. I have not hesitatod to speak itrongly of them, nor do I hesitate to express my opinion of their author. I know you will agree witli me that if I am, right — if my denial* be true, and his assertions false — you wfll agree with me when I say that the man who can say such thnigs — and say them fal«ely — in the mean hopo of injuring an opponent, 11 unworthy of the confidence—yes, gentlemen, or of the respect — of any honeit mnn. And I say now, and say it deliberately, and advisedly, that if Mr Dargaville will prove but one — only one — of all these slanderous and disgraceful stories and insinuations agumst my character and conduct which I have denounced to-night, then I will retire from tins contest. But if not — if it suits him still to ro.nn the country, and to hunt up from the lowest sources the basest icandal, and to scatter it broadcast m the hope that some of it may poison the mind of some one ; then, I say once more, he deserves no eonfilidence — no respect, and no esteem. Hore, at least, gentlemen, I can see that such conduct receives no sympathy, liero honest men will esteem honesty, aud will hold m utter contempt tho base conduct of the backbiter and tho slandorer. To you, therofore, I can say, knowing I shall not speak in vain ; if jou can support me conscientiously, having heard what I havo dono in the past, and will, if elected, do in the future, do so by all means — if not, do not at all events vote for a man who has forfeited all ul.um to confidence, and all hsjliMo rcspoot by Ins iiul.ni' ai"l unlruthlul conduct in this (<!< 1 1 ion. — Attcr lh n'wng ilt lir^t uicctiu^ for the patient j

hearing which ho had roooivod at their hands, the candidate resumed his seat amid cheers and applause. At the close of Mr Lusk's address Mr Dockerill moved " That, in the opinion of this meutiug, Mr Luak has, by his policy, forfeited the confidence of the electors of the province." Mr F, Whitaker moved Man amendment, "That, in the opinion of this meeting, Mr H. H. Luak is a fit and proper person to be Superintendent of this province," which was carried by a, large majority. On Monday atterndon Mr Lusk addressed a nieeting^at the Tokatea Institute. A motion and an amendment similar to the above were proposed, when the amendment was declared carried.