The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas Et Prevalebit WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1884. Mr Wason’s Friends.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1301, 9 July 1884, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas Et Prevalebit WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1884. Mr Wason’s Friends.

If ever a man had a reason to cry out, “ Save me from my friends,” it is Mr Wason in the present election, and if he fails to secure the Ashburton seat his want of success will be at least as much due to the injudiciousness of his supporters as to his being opposed by one who lias stronger claims upon the electors. For example, the meeting on Saturday evening in the Town Hall would have been most orderly, had not a few wild spirits from an up-country township provoked opposition by their nois} treatment of the seconder of the vote of confidence. This was the cause of Mr Nelson not being listened to, when he came on the platform to propose an amendment. That gentleman, however, in the plenitude of his friendship for Mr Wason, was determined that the speech he had prepared should not be lost to the world, so he has adopted the somewhat novel course of publishing it in the Christchurch newspapers as an advertisement. Our regret that the meeting would not allow Mr Nelson to “ speak his piece” was somewhat tempered on perusing the advertisement in question, by the reflection thet perhaps, in the heat and worry of an exciting moment, memory might have played him false, - and some of the meaning contained in his not very comprehensible sentences would possibly have evaporated. As it is, if is not V ( ry easy to discover exactly what was intended to be conveyed, owing to the somewhat strange phraseology that is employed, and the vagueness with which the supposed influence of the main street in the Borough of Ashburton in the present election is spoken of. When Mr Wason “ first came forward,” we are told, “ East street put up Mr Purnell to oppose him. Then East street jumped on Mr Purnell, and put up Sir Julius Vogel, thinking such a big man would strike terror into the heart of our candidate,” If this means anything, it means that certa'n electors, not being satisfied with MiWason’s political views, determined to get somebody else to contest the seat with him—not a very heinous nor a very uncommon ciime at such times as these. Later on Mr Walker" is described by Mr Nelson as simply a tool of a clique, a statement so manifestly absurd as 4 to carry with it its own refutation. Whatever might be the opinion held concerning the political views of the Chairman of the County Council, there cannot be a question that he has rendered great services to this district —services that in themselves constitute a strong claim upon the electors; and any comparison made between the two candidates on this score cannot fail to be favorable to Mr Walker, For j this reason, Mr Wason would be wise if he did his best to restrain the exuberant fancy of his supporters, although in this instance we have no reason to complain, as Mr Nelson’s advertisement will serve to assist Mr Walker's candidature, that is so far as it will have any influence at all, which we do not expect will be very great. Another “friend” of - Mr Wason made his appearance at Mr Walker’s meeting at Metiiven on Monday, in the person of MrT. Jackson, who is evidently a brilliant star in that small upcountry political firmament.- It must be confessed that this gentleman has more powers of eloquence than his Ashburton prototype, and his speech is far better from a rhetorical point of view. He appears to have a pretty turn for metaphor, but unfortunately for the cause he supports on this occasion he forgot that analogy is a twoedged knife, which needs to be handled with care and dexteiTj 7 " seen from our report in yestcr^j 7 3 issue, Mr Jackson adopted the old story of Jonah and his sojourn in the belly of a great fish, for the purpose of drawing a comparison between that incident and the Ashburton election. In imagination, he pictured Mr Purnell as the ancient substitute for oil on the troubled waters, who was swallowed up in the capacious maw of the whale, impersonated “on this occasion only ” by Sir Julius Vogel. By some strange process of digestion, not known to the generality of physiologists, Mr Purnell, during bis three days’ stay in unaccustomed climes, underwent a metamorphosis and was cast up on the shores of Ashburton in the shape of Mr Walker, So far so good; but Mr Jackson, either from his want of Biblical knowledge or some other reason, cut his story too short. As he did not give his hearer? the conclusion of the legend, we will

supply the want. In the old chronicle it is written that when Jonah was thrown upon the shore, he was told to go to Nineveh, and there preach to the people, and convert them from their evil ways. Thus, to pursue the analogy to its logical conclusion, Mr Jackson should have declared that Mr Walker was the one man fitted to bring us out of our difficulties, the candidate ot all otheis most likely to serve us in the present crisis—in short, the true Jonah of modern days. We feel sure that Mr Walker will keenly appreciate the delicate compliment contained in Mr Jackson’s speech, not the less that it comes from an avowed supporter of his opponent in the present election. Truly, as we said in starting, Mr Wasgn may devoutly pray to be delivered from his friends.