The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1909. THE BOROUGH ELECTIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2488, 29 April 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1909. THE BOROUGH ELECTIONS.

Yesterday’s elections resulted in another triumph for William Douglas . Lysnar; and,we can heartily congratulate him upon his victory. William is a great fighter, probably the greatest 'fighter Gisborne has known, and this fact is mainly responsible for the popularity which he undoubtedly enjoys at the -present time. All the world over, and at all times, the Briton dearly loves h fighter; and in William Douglas Lysnar he has just such a man. Once he makes up his mind what he wants he lets no one cross his path, but goes bald-headed—so to speak—in pursuit of In's object, and generally gets there. Planted down in Gisborne amongst a community whose miblic men have lost oat vigor which is found in sonic of 'our other towns, Air. Lysnar’s singleness of purpose in pursuing a given end, his, indefatigable energy, and his clogged persistence stand out in such striking contrast to the wishy-washy methods of the average local politician that lie secures both attention and admiration. It is all one to him whether the odds be -great or small, he fights on just the same, and, like Banjo Paterson’s famous horse “Pardon,” he “wears them till down at the last.” He may at times seem to be beaten, hut he does not admit it, and never stops for a 'single moment. Battling for a particular project on a public body, his facts may be shown to be entirely wrong, but he calmly sticks to his guns, reiterates his old points, though long since proved 'false, until those who oppose him get too tired to persist, and then lie lias his 'way. Alembers may curse him inwardly and outwardly for liis loquacity, but it matters not, William Douglas just keeps going, with the inevitable result. One great virtue in his methods is his im? porturability; nothing ever ruffles his 'temperament. Opponents may sneer at him, laugh at him, jeer, even insult 'him. He, knowing what he wants, ignores their attacks and just keeps on. Again, he is aided in his efforts at advancement by a peculiar indifference to either public or private op.i~lon as regards his actions. Another notable factor in his success is the fact that, though tactless in the extreme, he has the .saving grace of lacking entirely any revengeful spirit; no one ever heard of his -getting angry with an opponent; in fact, ho is frequently generous to those who have most bitterly reviled him. Some may consider him lucky, and in regard to the Mayoralty, possibly he has been very fortunate in the weakness of the opposition, but, after all, it must bo remembered that Dame Fortune lias a knack of taking sides with the determined, persistent man. So "William Douglas Lysnar has again satisfied bis ambition, and has succeeded iiv being elected Afayor a_ second time by a -handsome majority, and there is no doufit that he will take a good deal of shifting. Under all the circumstances, it is not surprising that •he -proved too strong for an absent candidate. Had Air. Alii lor not been called away' just as. the campaign was ■ : a ■ v- 1 • T ' A :

commencing it is quite likely b° would have won, for be possesses many of the qualifications which are conspicuously lacking "in Mr. Lysnar, and, being himself sufficiently energetic and aggressive, would probably have put up a great fight. Hmvover, it is id’o to speculateover -what might have been. Whilst warmly congratulating Air. Lysnar upon liis election we cannot say 'the same for the majority of those who voted yesterday -and, showed that they were content to he represented by such as he. However, in these democratic '■times the majority rule is supreme, yet it is not out of place to suggest that the majority do not always represent the highest and best instincts of a community. Still, the present Alayor has been given -what he asked for, namely, another chance, and we can only hope that better results will accrue fjom his election than we have been led to anticipate. It is possible that with a new Council and under changed circumstances he may, profiting by experience, display qualities that in the past he has lacked, and that because of this change some real progress may he made. The new Council, though not the strongest that could have been picked, is by no means an unfortunate selection. Tlie personnel clearly demonstrates that, whilst a majority of the voters preferred to retain Air. Lysnar as Alayor, they were not satisfied to accept his nominees for the Council. The electors appear to have given little heed to the suggestions either of' the Progressive League or the Trades and Labor Council, and have very properly decided the question on individual merit, and, on the whole, have made a wise choice. A noticeable rejection is that of Air. Sheridan, who had proved himself a most capable Councillor, and who probably paid the penalty of his frank criticism pf the Alayor. The names constitute a Council distinctly stronger than that which has just vacated office, and one that should be capable of very useful work within its term. It is to be sincerely hoped that there will be an -absence of the strained relations which existed between the Alayor and Council, and that ail will work together for the good of the town.