The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas, et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1881. Polling Places.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 490, 12 November 1881, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas, et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1881. Polling Places.

TOWN EDITION. [lssued at 5.10 p.m.j

The reality of the dream of political significance is beginning to dawn upon one at least of the candidates for Wakanui. After finding a political contest under the Corrupt Practices Prevention Act anything but satisfactory it is indeed most cruel to be told that the one and only hope which bouyed up the quasi working man’s friend is ruthlessly dashed to the ground, and this after “ votes after votes of confidence,” “ forests of hand,” and “ overwhelming ; applause ” have nightly greeted the blatent “ Liberal ” in his first series of “ Wakanui political utterances,” and which have been so faithfully portrayed in tire columns of our contemporary. The Returning Officer, the Hall Ministry, combined with Messrs Studholme, Moore, and Rhodes through their landed wealth have, in some unaccountable way, done something to prevent Mr Ivess’ supporters from voting for him. As far as we can make out the Polling Booths have not been placed in the best possible places, nor, unfortunately, in such convenient centres as our friend Mr Ivess, or rather hisjournaljhas advocatedon one ormore occasions. Herein consists the supposed trickery, gross blunder, and ministerial crime! As regards the electors in several districts such as Barr Hill, Chertsey, Wakanui, and Hinds being disfranchised through this “ disgraceful Act,” which we are told “will recoil on the perpetrators,” we can only say that we a better opinion of the electors in this district, and if they are really alive to their own interests, a short ride, or even the expense or loss qf time in recording their votes, will not deter them from exercising their right. It is a down-right insult to the community to be told that the head of the present Ministry is a political liar and a rogue, or in other words, “ his history has been of trickery, dodge, and equivocation,” simply because a candidate has not had polling booths where he promised his “confidence” supporters such would be placed. It certainly seems hard not to have everything to one’s liking, even at election times—libel actions, writs, cooperation, etc., notwithstanding to the contrary —but we must say that the polling places are in every way as convenient to every grade of elector as they well can be made. In looking over the list of polling places for the old Coleridge District, we find that there were only twelve altogether—four of which were in the Wakanui district, viz.—South Rakaia, Waterton, Wakanui and Chertsey. We have now four, viz. —South Rakaia, Seafield, Ashburton, and Longbeach. Now that the district is one third less than formerly surely the same number of ballot boxes will do ? The Returning Officer has acted in an impartial manner, if he suggested the gazetting of these polling places, it shows that he has the necessary experience of all those who honestly act in accordance with the interest o the district, without respect to party cries, communist views, and the ridiculous vanity 'of a would-be “ Liberal.”

Probably our readers are too well acquainted with the story of the politician who had the axe to grind to need its recapitulation here.