THE Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1881. THE COMING CONTEST.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 146, 4 June 1881, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1881. THE COMING CONTEST.

" Words are things, and a drop of i«k fallimg Jflce ietr upon a thought, produces that which makes . thousands, perhaps million* think." . .

T<m)ay the burgesses of Palmerston will be called upon to elect a representative m tße Municipal Council. Judging from the past experience, when so much apathy has been exhibijied, the matter would be at first sight one of small importanpe, but there are circumstances attached"'to present contest, which, materially change the appearance of matters TKe candidates are both well known, and we must sdd respected. () ne of them, Mr Snelson certainly has .played a conspicuous part m. the history of Palmerston, and if we are to "believe his statements as jutsered at his meeting at Terrace ■ißndfif not the Saviour, Keis entitled to cMni the position of it« Pounder. do not intend to say one word against that gentleman^ or to doubt' his. right to; the one titie or the other. 1 We have m the past given him credit for eren more than he assumep; but there) am. others who do hot do so, and statements have been made to Ms detriment irhich we will ■not attempt to prore or disprove. At his meeting on "Wednesday eyening, Mr Snelsqii certainly made assertions about ihe-fiii»"Qcial position of Palmerston, 'Whether under the Local Board.,pr a« a Borough, the ,axnbiguity pi whicjhi should be atari* f buted to a desire to mislead the electors whfbse confidence- he sought; or what i 4 scarcely conceivable, a lamentabieignorance of the position of the town of which /be claimed to ibe^the "father. Mr Snelson has cer- 1 tainly doide yeoman's Bervice for the town, but atthougli )** hai«Jone,so he has been ungenerousj we would, even go lurther. and say, exhibited b/ack ingratifeude.' / to oiieJWno has beeiian. able aid. If Mr Snelson has b;eeu ia .'B,ucce : 3sf ul captain he has had - the "aavaniJige of Kaving by his sjde '■•"*! lieutenant who was invaluable, and without whose forethought andun%r 'ffi'e-'intefe^s of the -toWS7"-th:e- -ability of Mr Snelaon Jwijjttld hjtfe weighed^^yery- lightly m m the balance. There is an old say.|ng f inja par^qf dominions that the Bin>o£ unpratitiide. is worse Jbhan witchcraft, and allof thosejin the ij^tttiQbili and noiua-D few ; >' out of it, inowfull well that nine tenths of \li ; e'-cre < ait whicil 1 Mr a Snelson takes to himself has besuj; really owing to Mr Keeling.) j.^je were therefore, somewhat,, surprised to learn that, on¥ f B ooff f J hiir* avowed objects' m" Iwis'hmg' to re-enter the Borough Council., of .Palmerston, was to kick afrottaat the stropgest .rounds of the ladder by which he' haß' 'inounted-to his muiVi'crpal eminenice. Reports have ? .been • Jreelyy- circulated that Mr Keeling is m receip^ .of £300 from tne-'Corporatibn of which 1 - ho is the servatitrand we have been most credibly informed : *fch'at>Mr' Shelson has told more than one elector, that ''should '•lie again become a Councillor ihe^will.oonsifler/it.hiß, duty to send that official, to the right about face. We dpnot for a .moment insinuate that My "'. Snelsorl "dirdctly led any? : elebt?6i* r aßtray' as tb'the 1 compensation received by^the Town Clerk « biit we adaii iftUftyei \t,h9t f ,a.. r sunpo^tion wa^s abroad that Mr Keeling was receiv- : mg afcp tl)e !^mb*iitft named., that~Mr Snelson would reduce that figure, and that the 'erroneous supposition has been jnaie a handle by the latter gen-

tleman to Becure support. It may be just as well that the electors should kuow exactly what j amount Mr Keeling receives as Town Clerk — Just £200 a year,,aud not a penny more — but it must be remembered that his duties include that of Inspector of Nuisances and Borough Valuer, which latter office is worth £50 at least. Those who have theslightest dealing with Mr Keeling injbief .official capacity will be com-_ pelled — A.nd we use the word in* its strongest definition to" admit that iv all Tiis intercourse and dealings with the 1 outside public he has been the soul of civility, and courtesy ; and ;wo';feel convinced that there -is not one member of the present corporation who has not the manlinesß to admit that without Mr Keeling placed at -the jwheel, and the municipal ship hi ais hands^ chaos would take place, and the fate of the YinC3nt County ( be re-enacted. In another " portion 'bf this paper Mr Snelsonls- claims _as,-to. what he has done for Palmerston has been put -under the -microscope ;■ we "will not question their correctness or otherwise; as we have' said said before we have hitherto given that gentleman full credit, perhaps too much for .what .he has done as a public man; and it would come with bad gra.-e from us now to disparage, any effortof his. We freely admit that he has done much for Palmerston, but we know^that.he seeks to disparage the effort's of those who have also worked hard -for Palmerston. We have now done with Mr Snelson, until the present contest is over. He has had the advantage ; if ' no't r the accompanying prestige of . being able, %o boast of a public career. His opponent has not, and the ratepayers will, or should, be the proper judges as to which of the candidates is best entitled; to their support. But any person who attended "the meeting of Mr Leary, jeyen if they did not , know the stirring .quality, of the man, who would not be carried away with his impassioned utterance — bearing the impressed, and rig of honor, honesty, and truth — would bebnt poor judges of human nature. We feel convinced that every one Who heard his address, supporter and opponent alike, went away with the firm conviction that they had listened to one whose word was his bond; who having been pressed' -to enter the service of the public' would if elected faithfully do his duty, no matter what should be the. private burden or pecuniary loss. This article has, we regret, to say, already exceeded the limits of our space, but we cannot finish without a closing remark. We knew that Mr Leary was honorable, we knew that he was honest and true as the sun ; we knew that if he once pledged himself to undertake an office, he would spare neither time, money, nor comfort to be true And faithful to his trust ; but w© honestly confess we never gave him credit for the ability as exhibited m the masterly manuer m which he handled the various subjects upon which he touched.