THE WAKANUI ELECTION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 501, 6 December 1881, Page 4

THE WAKANUI ELECTION.

To the Editor. . Sir,; —The Mail during the present election has been converted into a mere advertising machine to puff the incomparable iherits of Mr Ivess, and in defiance of the principles of true journalism. A deliberate attempt has been made throughout to ignore Mr. Purnell’s candidature, and if his meetings have been noticed at all it has been for the purpose of caricaturiig them. The “ little game ” has been to make the contest appear to be one between Mr Ivess, the pseudo working man’s friend, and Mr Waaon, the representative of the large landholders. But the painful truth is evidently becoming dear to Mr Ivess’ mind that the little game has failed to produce the desired effect; that Mr Purnell’s party, if it does not make a noise and hullabaloo, possesses a voting power which will tell at the polling booth, and that the battle is really between Mr Purnell and Mr Ivess. In other words, the issue placed before the Wakanui electors is this—are we to have a general ** burst up ” all round—a mad political saturnalia, or are we to proceed to effect liberal reforms by judicious legislation bn the principles followed by the British statesmen who lead the great Liberalparty at Home 1 The good sense 6f the electors will, I doubt not, teach them to choose the latter course.—l am, &c.. True Progress.

To the Editor. Sib, —With your kind permission, I should like to make one or two remarks upon the coming election of a member to represent this district in the Parliament of New-Zealand. There are three candidates in the field, and as the polling day is drawing near, the electors will have to make up their minds for whom they are going to vote. The views of one of the candidates are somewhat of too advanced a type, I should imagine, for the electors of Wakanui. The other two candidates have issued addresses, which I have carefully read, and find a wide difference between them One address seems to be nothing but a criticism upon Mr Sealy’s pamphlet. The other is a statesmanlike, and able exposition of views, which every farmer in this district, would do well to read, before making up his mind for whom he will vote. The candidate who finds fault with Mr Sealy’s pamphlet is, 1 should imagine, a Conservative, though he very cleverly endeavors to conceal the fact, and styles himself a Liberal. He has, I believe, the merit of being a farmer, through having had the misfortune to lose his run, from the fact of some misguided people taking a liking to it, thinking it would do more than feed a sheep on two acres. The other candidate is a lawyer, a painstaking, industrious man, and one who (judging by his address) does not lack brains. : He is evidently a man who would work hard in the House of Representatives, and would do his best for the district. My opinion, Mr Editor, is that &' rttanwhd can issue a really able and statesmanlike address, as he has done, is well worthy of a trial, and 1 hope he will he' elected. His views upon the railway question are, I, should think, in accord with' the views of every farmer in the district, and this subject is of far more vital importance than a dissertation upon Communism, or the criticism of a pamphlet, written by a gentleman who, I believe, once owned a large estate. I cannot helpboping, Mr Editor, that the electors of Wakanui will think twice before returning a Conservative candidate to the House of Representatives, in these days of progress. Apologising for trespassing so much upon your space.—l am, etc., A Farmer. Wakanui,6th Dec., 1881.