A FOOL'S PARADISE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 3131, 16 November 1893, Page 2

A FOOL'S PARADISE.

At a time when almost everyone is occupied in some way or other with political—or more correctly—with electioneering—matters,it may be considered rather out of place to moralise. But as we have already intimated that party politics cannot be conveniently dealt with by a journal which, perforce, represents a community professing all shades of political opinions, we are in a position to look upon the coming struggle from a philosophical point of view. To us—journalistically, of course, all parties are the same, or at anyrate their politics are. We are quite willing to allow that every candidate has the interest of the country at heart, as well as his own ; that all of them have some qualities which entitle them to admiration or respect, and that many of them have abilities—some have experience, and all have friends. But what we think of their individual claims to the public confidence and support, or of their special fitness for the positions they seek to secure, we catefully keep to ourselves. We trust the candidates themselves will understand our motives, and—some of the n—will appreciate our forbearance. There is, however, no occasion why we should see all this turmoil going on around us and take no notice of it. It might have been possible to ignore this electioneering hnbbub once upon a time. But the" political woman has changed all that. Th editorial mind's eye could once picture a cosy retreat where the wife of hiss bosom would strive to make him some amends for the troubles and worries inflicted upon him during the day by electioneering agents, and where pleasant chit-chat on domestic matters would make him forget that he had a vote, and <f a great public duty to perform." And so it was possible for him to take a back seat and watch the progress of the strife. No*, in spite of his august and responsible position, an editor is only a man, and human after all, and if he would maintain that character for superior knowledge on political matters which his better half has hitherto tacitly acknowledged, he must think about these things to enable him to discuss them with her. And so as politics cannot now be banished from our hearths and homes, it will bo readily understood how hard it is to keep the editorial pen away from the all engrossing subject. We are led to make these remarks by way of explanation for our continued avoidance of a subject which is more engrossing just now than any other. Our readess will be better able after perusing them to understand how difficult is the task we have set ourselves, while we car» get a clearer appreciation of the temptation which beset Mother Eve when all the fruit in the garden of Eden was placed at her disposal, excepting only the forbidden fruit. Of all the subjects within the editorial reach, there is inclination but for one, and that one is forbidden. Still we may without prejudice—as the lawyers say—indulge in a few philosophical reflections ? as we wafcph the progress of the race for distinction. We had nearly said * for two forty a year," but we remember that some of the competitors are not urged on by that incentive. One of the most striking features of this contest, as it has been of most previous ones, is that each candidate thinks he has a better prospect ot election than anybody else, Listening to the opinions on this point expressed "privately" by some of them, one is amused by the blissful ignorance they exhibit of the public estimation in which they are held as candidates f.T * ** » Parliament. Men whose chances of recovering m~~ «f deposit" money are of the slenderest, speak of their prospects with the most triumphant complacency, and antici- { pate the disappointment of their opponents with sympathetic regret. Some again, there are who may have taken a prominent part in local affairs in som obscure corner 9$ an electorate, and who confidently assure us that f bo and so will not have a hundred to one 9 ow." And this feeling is n.ot coa-

fined to the candidates. We see small cliques and microscopic associations going through all the pride, pomp and circumstance of the ballot to splect the man they are going to " run." Having been so chosen none can prevail against him, and the election is considered as good as settled. The smaller and more insignificant the coterie—so to speak—the more positive are iU members that the man under their wing is the man for Galway. One of the candidate? for a certain electorate —himself tickled by the humour of this funny trait in human nature —told us the other day, that at an outlying dis trict where there were half a dozen families, a state school, and a blacksmith's shop, the chairman of the former had promised to run him (the , candidate) and intended to convene a public meeting to consider the plan of getting all the aettlers to give a block vote, " when no doubt other districts would follow the example." This was really very good of that chairman, but although it shows that he has great faith in the adage that example is better than precept, does it not also show that there is something radically foolish in our system of selecting our representatives for Parliament ? So long as men who have no earthly chance of being chosen by a constituency are continually popping into the political arena and embarrassing the choice of electors—so long will the general results be disappointing. At no time so much as at the election time, doesthe point of those lines of Burns" apply :— Oh, wad some po'oer the giftie gie us, To see oursel's as ithers see us, It wad frae mony a blunder free as, And foolish notion.