The Approaching Election

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 373, 5 November 1889, Page 2

The Approaching Election

[io THS BDITOB.J Sib.—Tha district will shortly be called upon to elect a representative to fill the eeat rendered vacant by Mr Graham's retirement. Ro far there is only one candidate in tha field, Mr A. C. Arthur, who from his printed address I

learn, has been in this district some seventeen years. The changes that have taken place during that time, and the publio offices fi led by various settlers, must indeed he very numerous. But I cannot call to mind any occasion, previous to the existing one. upon which Mr Arthur has offered his services in any prominent capioitv to tha pnblie. He ha. studiously avoided seeking their suffrages, and therefore he cannot reasonable er pent that the general publio can have the sime knowledge or admiration of his qaa'ifiostione as his private friends But Mr Arthur is vary frank in his address. H« informs the electors of theEaat Coast, -in effe tt—that be

will, if elected, do precisely what seems to him fit and proper. There is no mistaking that. Therefore, if Mr Arthur is returned, the electors should reoogniee the fact before* hand that they have by their acquiescence handed the seat over to that gentleman with* out any reservation, for him to act as he chooses. Is this a position worthy of being taken up by people who have the privilege of the franchise ’ If so. then the ereet privileges of manhood suffrage and vrte by ballot are a failure. Apart from polit cal leanings, and it appears tn ms distinctlv that Mr Arthur can, and will, if returned, represent his own particular class—the runholders—it seems to me that the public cannot altogether ignore the fact that Mr Arthur'l land transactions formed the loec al subject of a Parliamentary enquiry last «««s’on. Of the merits of the csss the public havi nothing whatever to do. This fact however nut ba patent to all, that any man who hM 1 private grievance—apart from the publie welfare — places himself in an awkward position when he ss«ka ro v present the ran, munity at large. Mr Arthur, hold! ig himei'L as he does perfectly free, cannot be hereafter of having used his pnslion forthate purpose at promoting his o’n salt interest, I do not say that he woold do so. oven should an opnortunity offer. Had he been < man who hitherto hid taken an an'ive pari in the local and general politics ot the country no such imputation could no v arise, but if after seventeen years’ residence amongst us. he has only now bad time to bestow attention—as everjr good settler should—to public matters, it is singulariv unfortunate that the present time sboqld have been selected, when his private interests to lands have been so recently a subject of Parliamentary enquiry. To get a free and independent candidate ie a difficult thing. How. ever, the period io one of such a trying and important nature to tha district as a whole that no trifling should be permitted It is essential to the vitality of this district that anable and energetic man,having a thorough knowledge of native matters, should be returned. No novice will do. He, in my opinion, would, if he is pirsonally involved in Native land squabbles, not only fail to benefit himself, and regret hereafter the gtap he had taken, but would unintentionally do irreparable injury to this district—a district that by some strange fatality has bean always politically unfortunate. While not claiming to be an admirer of Mr W. L. Rees, under the circumstances, and having a mind to his remarkable energy aud perseverance, the district could do worse than return him as its representative for tho last session of the present Parliament. That, gentleman is now in Gisborne. Some effort should be made to endeavor to induce him to come forward. Until the Native Land question is put on a better footing this district will go from bad to worse. An opportunity offers itself now. Shall wa neglect it ?— I sm, etc., Elsctob. [ls not the reference in tbe latter part ot the letter rather unfortunate, seeing that Mr Rees is a lawyer wbo is blamed, whether rightly or wrongly, for a great deal of the troubles that have occurred in connection with native land < titles ?—Ed.]