" PUBLIC OPINION." — VICTORIA ELECTION.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 26 April 1880, Page 2

" PUBLIC OPINION." — VICTORIA ELECTION.

♦• As a person holding no political or partisan opinions whatever, and being at best a bird of passage, the excitement and agitation which ruled my fellow creatures last Saturday interested me vastly. I beheld in these emotions a curious explanation of that madness vrh'ch people term patriotism ; a singular exemplification of that species of idiocy which is known generally as 'political opinion.' For surely, when we see mea gather together, as they might on a racecourse, to witness a contest in which their interest is not represented by their betting book, or any material principle, but by their ' opinions,' one can hardly be blamed if ha questions their sanity. For myself, I would not walk across the street to record my vote ; being confident that in these matters there is not a pin to choose between Liberal and Conservative, and that any future Ministry or govern* ing party will make as great a mess of matters as any past. I have every belief that representative government in this colony is a mistake ; and that if we were ruled by some strong intelligent man-— like Sir Hercules Kobiason, for example-^g^hfijjld get on far better than we flH||B^> under this petty, but expenHv^Hpffl of Par liamentary government." But, halt ! this is treason ; and I have no desire to find myself in the Tower, or my head on the block. However, my opinion is my own personal property, and nobody's else — which, perhaps, may be considered a very lucky matter. I merely refer to it in order that my readers may understand I am wholly unprejudiced, that I don't care a rash which adventurers seize upon place and pay ; and therefore, that when I observe political prejudice, opinion, and fanaticism in my feilow creatures, 1 regard the spectacle with the ejes of a

philosopher, and the curious interest of one who beholds menbil phenomena in others which he is incapable of developing in himself. Opposite the Argns office an excited but orderly crowd gathered early in Ihe evening, and remained until past midnight. But one spirit seemed to rule these people— an eager partisanship. I wonder whether ten per cent of this mob really understo U the issues upon which this partisanship* is based ; whether they comprehended the principle of pleHss citum or not, (and if they did not, I should not blame them, since the matter has been sadly misinterpreted by its ex* planations), and whether the famous sixth clause was not as double Dutch or Hebrew to them. lam sure that it was so, and I'll gi?e you an instance. I found honestly that the voice of public opinion — that impalpable but autocratic principle, against which it is ' madness to beat— was dead against the Government. And yet lam assored that no one or dozen acts of the Government inspired this feeling. The natural life of ' any Ministry is three years, and I dare bet that on or about 1883 there will be as much clamor to thrust Mr Service to the wall as there has been to capsize Mr Berry. And I'd bet further, the press which applauds or condemns the on? or the other, will see fit and proper rrawn for piping another fune. Gad ! is it not the farce of farce' P— " Lounger,'' in the Melbourne Herald.