The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Saturday, OCTOBER 11,1890. TRICKS OF THE PURSE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 517, 11 October 1890, Page 2

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

Saturday, OCTOBER 11,1890. TRICKS OF THE PURSE.

Be just and fear not; . 7; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s, Thy God’s, and truth’s.

That Government which Mr Arthur is so fond of referring to as “ we ” has been working a little scheme to try and gain strength during the election. It is well known that the longer a contest lasts the more difficult it is to fight, without having a long purse to enable one to sustain the Struggle. The probabilities therefore are that the moneyed side, the landowners and the nominees of commercial rings, are given a great advantage by delay. The Ministers made • a distinct pledge not to fix the date of election for later than November 12—which in itself is too distant a date—and now they have deliberately broken faith with the people. No excuse can smooth over this breach. The cffence would hardly occur unless there was some motive, and two appear on the face of things—a long and expensive electioneering campaign must tell against those candidates who are not wealthy, and from the phase the strike has assumed it gives promise of creating dissension among the labor organisations before the date of election arrives. This kind of thing should be too transparent to humbug the electors. The Wanganui Herald says of it

When Parliament was asked to pass a short Act to enable the rolls to be prepared within 30 days, the Ministry gave an assurance that Parliament would be called together in 72 days from the time the Act came into force, The Governor’s assent was given to the Act in August, the 30 days expiring on the 29th September for the completion of the roll, Counting 42 .days, or more strictly 40 days, from then, we have a date not later than the 10th November. This is the extreme limit, but pf course the day of the elections is always fixed some days within the time allowed by law, and it was generally supposed that the date on which the elections would take place would be in the first week in November. A telegram from Wellington now informs us that “the date of the elections will probably be put oft till the beginning of December.”If this is correct, the Government have clearly broken faith with the . House, as many expected they would do, thus confirming the impression that they are entirely destitute of all honor. We have not the slightest doubt but that they have violated their solemn assurance in order to serve some unworthy party or personal end. For there is absolutely no excuse for any delay. Every requirement of the law was the same when they told the House that 72 days would be the allotted time, as it is to-day. Either they are the most stupid of blunderers or they are the most contemptible of tricksters. The time now allowed for the elections after dissolution is much too great, entailing a needless expense on candidates; and favoring the party with the longest purse. In England a fortnight or three weeks is considered ample time for a general election, and there Is no reason for any longer time in the colony. It is not surprising, however, that a Ministry already moribund and expecting its quietus at the election, should desire to postpone..the perio.d of its final extinction as long as possible. This is just what those who knew the tricky character of its members said would hapoen. When the compact was made between the leader of the Opposition and the Premier, through the medium of Mr Bryce, it was suspected that, though a desire was professed to get the elections on as soon as possible, every effort would be made +O-postpone the day of reckoning. The anticipations of those who would not trust any assurances given by the Ministry have now been realised.