The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Tuesday, September 16, 1890. THE DYING MOMENTS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 507, 16 September 1890, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Tuesday, September 16, 1890. THE DYING MOMENTS.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s, Thy God’s, and truth’s.

The death-knell of the last session of the present Parliament is being sounded, and in a few days at most it is believed the curtain will have been drawn on the scene—one of the most humiliating of many pitiable sessions. A great deal of mischief has been done—time and money have been wasted, but we doubt if even the most abject apologist for the present condition of things will undertake to point out a single item of good that can be claimed for the session. From beginning to end it has been a miserable farce, and an example has been set, that would be spurned by a second-rate debating society. A hybrid Government, instead of leading, has allowed itself to be led by the nose, and has meekly followed whatever direction was dictated to it—in short has made any sins of omission or commission that seemed to enable it to baffle its opponents, and cling on to the spoils of office. The Opposition has been equally as bad, or rather individual members have so behaved as to cast odium on those who are on the same side of the House. The individuals have acknowledged no responsibility to a leader, and have wrangled and squabbled until the taxpayers have turned away from the scene, overcome by a feeling of weariness and disgust. The whole chapter in the political history of the country is a disgraceful one.

Will the lesson be a useful one for the future ? That is a question which may be solved at an early date, for the general election is now close upon us. The new Parliament can hardly be a worse one than the last, but it should also be borne in mind that it can be made a great deal better. There is so much room for improvement, that it seems hard to believe that even the dullest electors will again permit themselves to be misled as they have been in the past. So many of their idols have proved to be composed of clay of such poor quality that one can. not doubt that there will be a greater discernment and wiser judgment in selecting representatives when the electors are called on to make their choice in a couple of months’ time. If a writer were to set himself the task of analysing the work of the session now about to close, leaving a black column for all the deeds of mischief, the analysis would show little else besides black marks. There has been the usual amount—which is a very large one—of shamming intended to delude those whose inexperience prevents their peering through the gauze that enshrouds the deceit, and Hansard has been made the vehicle of transparent electioneering dodges. The sooner the session ends, and relieves people from the fear of any further mischief being done, the better it will be for all concerned, and especially so for the taxpayers. It has so far given nothing to be thankful, for and has left a shameful record of incompetence, wilful waste, scandalous squabbling, and of disorder generally.