THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1881.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 15 June 1881, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1881.

Tt could hardly be expected''otherwise limn that n paper* which systematically vilified and misreprespnted Mr Weston, while lie was on the jadical Bench, should redouble its efforts in that direction now that that gentleman stands before the public as a political candidate, lhat the Inangahun Herald did shamefully and persistently attack Mr Weston in his judicial capacity, is tooj well known throughout this district to now need comment from us and it isijworihv of note that the same paper stood alone amongst the whole Pres3 of the West Const in the3e heartless and unfounded attacks. Put whnt do we now find ; that i^hile ljie Inangahua Herald is the only p'fvptfri'Ot^l^ West Const, which/opposes Mr Weston'f fean^ktiirCH is compelled^ i by. the pterwhelmirig voice of public rait the v ter falsify and groundlessness of those attacks. Tliere can bVnp mis* fake about: this, these are the words' which this model journal used yestordny : "We give the fullest credit to Mr Wesson for the manner in which he has dispharged his duties on the West Coast ; we believe that his desire to benefit us by the development of our resources is earnest, and founded not alone upon a feeling of gratitude but also upon the fullest consciousness that these resources are o,f a character which must sooner or later direct earnest attention to their development." But there need be no misapprehension as to the motive for this admission. It is clearly not prompted by any honorable feeling, or with any de«ire to undo any past injustice. It has. been extorted by the enthusiastic reception extended everywhere on the West Coast to Mr Westnn, and is simply used, as far as it can be made to go, to " damn him with faint praise." But a pnper which has", upon its own admission, so grossly misrepresented Mr Weston's action in the past is not likely to exercise much influence as ah exponent of his words and actions at tbe present time. Now this brings us more immed'a'ely to the latest phase of misrepresentation with which the public has been treated. It does not. in our opinion, add much to the strength of Mr FitzGerald'a cause, nor reflect very highly upon the inventiveness of his sup porters that no better, or io fact, no other argument can be advanced against Mr Weston Y candidature than that he is likely, in the event of election, to.be opposed to the present Government. No more utterly rotten and unwarranted as* suroptfon than this could possibly hav.e been advanced, unsupported as it is by a single line or utterance of that gentleman speeches. Bat a$ tbe Herald did not re« port the addresses of either Mr Wrston or Mr FitzGerald, it is no doubt undrr j the belief that the way is open to manu *ncture opinions for each, at Its own sweet will. But the remarks of Mr Weston are, fortunately, too fresh in the minds of the electors to allow of auything of the kind being done. Now here are the candidate's own words upon the subject: — "If elected. I will go to the Premier and say— Mr Hall, 1 have been elected for one of the not lrast important constituency in the Colony, and so long as you give me reasonable assurance and proof that, you w'll do justice to the West Coast, I will give you my support, but when 1 find that you do not, I shall look out for another leader." What language could possiMy be clearer than this. The Government have promised to introduce a Bill to authorise concessions of land for railway construction, and if they do so, and its terms are such as prove ac eeptable, and the Ministry ofberwise show a disposition to treat tbe West Const fairly, then they will receive Mr Weston's fullest support. If, on the otler h n nd, they fail Io bring in the prop mised Bill, fail to meet the requests of the railway promoters, and generally turn a deaf ear to thp rlaiws which he will advance, then and then only will he with* draw his support from tbe Government, and give it to that other party whiGh ; 8 ready with the required assurance. It would bare bren a fortunate th'ng for the West Coast if in the past representatives c< u!d h«ve been found independent, and straightforward enough to pledge tliemselreg in the some manner. True on the oecnsion of the last general eloction a similar ple:lt?? was exacted on be« holf of the electors from Mr E. Eeeves but as must always be the ca^fi wi'h a representative wlio goes to the Hou«e as n t,no cor.fi lent follower, that ecntleman's belief in the sincerity of the Grey rariy was too s/r/>r.£ to withstand, and although they could never be induced to give tbe smallest ns?uraT es with reeard <n the railway, Mr Reeve? s-nck to Miem like 8 plas'cr, nn<\ follower) Ilio pnrtv into exile, jusl ns Mr Filz^emld wonl-1 undouH' j d!y do to«mnrrovr. wore life fleeted. \Tr Weston, on ihe othrr lsn<l, tells tlip plectra that h^ has' one settled purpose on hanl in going to tlie Hou" rt . He will enter i' r,t a critical time when his support will he of some rno:nor^, pud will ■ 'p!| the leaders of iho. G< ve.rnment rl.ai unless tl cy are prepnred f o re.iu'e thfir promise ( r> vrafHre ati-l in*>vvliH # » Hie Kiiilwny Bill .'"* r l n ( li rr p. i-jp den I fVrly ■wjMi the West Const. 1-e vill not 'o'low ■]u<m. H will tlierofi-re be seen th-T as ■iip! W pi. n the two <'fln;lii';i!j--s Mr Fi'z , Genre! : s re:)' J y to rviV. p? ' n.-e ii to the

arms of the Ministry, and trust to wild chance for what they : miy do for the railway, while Mr Weston lays down the surer course of binding them first and supporting them afterwards, and no sensible man but will say that tbe latter plan is the only effectual one. We have already had some bitter experience of what we mny expect when dependent upon the favor of a Government' possessing a safe majority. These then are the intentions of Mr Weston as get forth in his speech, and they are quite incapable of any such interpretation as has been sought to put upon them. But, as we have before said, the spirit of misrepresentation is atwoik and it seems no. subterfuge. is too low and contemptible in order to accomplish tha> which cannot be attained by fair meflns Then asain as to the reply which Mr Wesfon gave at his meeting to on° of Mr Fi'zGeraid's supporters- regarding tbe po'icy of the present Ministry. It is true that the other d-iy at Leeston Mr Hall did to some extent open the Minis terial mini, and foreshadow some few of the measures which it was purposed to introduce at the present session, but even after the Premier has spoken in there any man outside the circle of the Cabinet who can say what the future policy of tbe Government is ? The policy 9| the Government so lar a« it relates to t he*past is well k«)w*f»;nnd is in fact the *\erv groundwork of the cat^, liongl iong of the Government with regard to the future, time alone can reveal. Certain Bills, we are told, are to be introduced, but their true bearing is just as much a perret at the present time as are the budget proposal^ of the Colonial Treasurer and the Minister of Public W'Tks, which the country is now waiting with so inn oh anxiety to hear. So that in pnyin? 'he did not know what the policy of the Government was ' Mr Weston was euilty of no evasion, but simply stated that which was really the fact..' As to the git berish which is tnlk'd about the possibility of Fir George Grey beine brought again into power, it is hardly worthy of serious consideration. Sir George Grey's chances of ever again ob« tnining the grip of power in this Colony hive now come to be estimated at their proper value, and it is rather late in the Hay to trot him out as a bogie. The Herald tolkg gliMy enough of the ser« vice rendered to the country by the Hall Government and the part which Mr Masters played in bringing them into office but tbe electors know exactly bow much that paper favored Mr Master's return, and thereby bow far they are indebted to' i>s Bdvoeacy for all the goo 1 things upon which it now expends its platitudes. The fact is but to apparent that the opposition shown to Mr Weston's candidature has no better foundation than that of personal enmity, and this has been made manifest from the first moment that the candidate : efitered the field. Without waiting; to learn thecandida'e's views, without waiting to ex» tend to him tbe small consideration of n fair bearing, it gave itself np body and soul, if it ever possessed such adjuncts, to the candidature of Mr FitzGerald. and this without reporting the latter gentleman's address, or affording its traders the slightest opportunity of judging of his fitness. But the issue is in the hands of the' electors, and there we leave it with little feat as to the result. 1 : •"': I