The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Thursday, December 4, 1890. THE ELECTION.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 540, 4 December 1890, Page 2

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

Thursday, December 4, 1890. THE ELECTION.

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

The general elections take place tomorrow. Every thoughtful person must feel keenly interested in the effect which the decision of the electors may have upon the future of the colony, for better or for worse. As has often been pointed out, one vote may decide an election and the vote of one member may decide a policy. Natural causes, fortunately, have lately been helping New Zealand to redeem its lost position. The great stimulus that has been given to production, and the good seasons that have been experienced during the past three years, have assisted the country, and belied the croaking note set up three years ago by Sir Harry Atkinson. When in Gisborne Captain Russell said that the frozen meat trade had done ten times more good for the district than all the Governments that ever existed, and though the speaker seemingly forgot how completely he was discounting his own praises of the Government, the application may be made generally to the condition of the colony.

Be that as it may, there are clearly defined issues to be decided to-morrow. Qn the one side we have a candidate who has so much confidence in himself and so little trust in others, that he has foreshadowed a policy of his own which would mean playing into the hands of greedy speculators. He would tolerate the Government just for that period during which it suited his disposition —probably until they refused to seriously regard the policy indicated by him personally. The estrangement would soon arrive, for a party that has made such a sacrifice of principle to retain office would not be so mad as to openly advocate the “policy” of fattening speculators at the expense of the people. Memories of a past that has not grown dim warn us that such a policy might be no new thing, but it is hard to understand how any man who expects support, whether from Conservative or Liberal, can in these days have the face to advocate what Mr Arthur has done, apparently without concern. We need go no further than express a conviction that verv little support is deserved by a candidate who attempts to publicly take credit to himself for the brilliant idea that speculators should have the first choice of all Crown lands thrown open for settlement, bona fide settlers being left the land of poor quality; also that there should be such trading in native lands as could only be availed of by land-jobbers, who would be relieved of all risks and the general taxpayer made to bear the expense of any litigation that might ensue. Mr

Arthur would also he in favor of repealing the Triennial Parliament Act, thus leaving those in power plenty of leisure to develop these schemes, without fear of being dictated to by the voice of the taxpayers at whose expense this jobbery is to be perpetrated. Will they sanction such doings? If they vote for Mr Arthur they must acquiesce in the policy which he has so plainly indicated he will try and force upon the Government —which, indeed as he has told us, he has already been trying to get adopted in the course of private interviews with ministers. About Mr Kelly there -is no room left for doubt, He has stated his views, certainly not with the eloquence which such-men as Mr, Rees has .accustomed

us to expect from the l iberal side, but in a straightforward way that is quite as emphatic. He will uphold all Liberal principles, and-that ne will be loyal to his constituents may be judged from his loyally to his pariy. lie does not sit upon the rail, angling for the votes of both sides, but makes it plain that he would prefer to be relegated to private life rather than obtain election by acting Mr Facing-bolh-ways, and trying to be “ all things to all men.” While the J D. Ormond fraternity may whine about the decadence of Parliament, Mr Kelly gives proof that a lengthened experience in the work of that institution has hot led him into sacrificing principle for the sake of catching a few votes. Blit while advocating those principles which he firmly believes in, he will, if elected, do as he always has done, give every assistance he can in the ordinary work of the country, reserving the right to vote against the present Government whenever there is a division on a policy question. All men will respect such an opponent, but they will ever be suspicious of rail-sitters. Any comparisons between the two candidates must be.in favor of Mr Kelly, whose long Parliamentary experience has been gained without making a single opponent on personal grounds. The electors have simply to decide whether they will vote for one who reserves to himself the tight of acting independently just according to how his special class may be affected, who would open up the native districts to a horde of land-jobbers instead of trying to-get a rational solution of the difficulty, and who tries to catch Liberal votes on the ground that all others who claim to be Liberals are only fishing for votes. Or, on the other hand, will the electors vote for one who has consistently advocated Liberal principles, who is a tried public servant of many years' experience, who will be staunch in the cause of the people, and spurn the thought of sacrificing principle just to catch votes. If the latter class of candidate meets with most favor in this electorate then Mr KELLY will be the East Coast representative in the new Parliament. If, however, the majority of electors prefer one whose interests in every way strengthen his alliance with the privileged few, one who is a pronounced “ rail-sitter ” of the most objectionable type, then Mr ARTHUR will be elected. It is not a question of Government versus Opposition. The question is will you [support a Liberal candidate who will respect his opponents but still remain true to his principles, or will you support one who will be against everyone, be it Government or Opposition, who is against the privileged class of which he is a member ?