The Approaching Election.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 374, 7 November 1889, Page 2

The Approaching Election.

[To the EDITOR.] Sir,—l regret that any obscurity in the last paragraph of my former letter to you, wherein I pointed out that “under the circumstances” Mr W. L. Rees should be asked to represent the district in Parliament, at the forthcoming election, should here given rise to your editorial footnote. I do not by any means pretend to believe that Mr W. L. Rees is a paragon of perfection, or one whose unerring judgment in regard to any schemes he may have embarked upon has ever failed to result in unparalleled success. Indeed I incline rather, along with many others, to an entirely contrary opinion. But upon this point there can be no doubt, however ill-judged or ill-advised may have been the means employed by Mr Rees, he honestly endeavored to promote what he believed would tend to advance the well-being of the community as a whole. Mr Rees is essentially a public man, possessing like all public men many faults and many virtues. And as a public man, whatever his faults may be it can never be said of him that when he became a member of Parliament some years ago “his main object in getting into the House” was to promote the private interests of private individuals. As to Mr Rees being responsible, as you to some extent imply, for the present condition of things in the district, so far as Native Lands are concerned, the paramount cause is not attributable to any individual in particular. It is the Native Land laws themselves de facto that have retarded settlement. With better Native Land laws neither Mr Rees nor anyone else could have prevented the district being more prosperous than it is now, although he and others might have contributed materially to enhance the general prosperity. But the main question at the present time is what are the electors going to do in regard to selecting a representative? Are they going once again to repeat the blunders of the past? Are they going to be led by a few of the large landholders of the district, with unenviable bank balances, as they have been hitherto? It is to be sincerely hoped not. Surely the recent lamentable exposure should be sufficient to compel the voting power of the district to be guided by itself this time, and not be again trifled with. To reiterate what has been already said, under the circumstances no better choice of a representative can be made than Mr W. L. Rees.—l am, etc., Elector.