WHAT IS THE FEELING OF THE COUNTRY?

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1639, 18 August 1887, Page 3

WHAT IS THE FEELING OF THE COUNTRY?

Though our readers are doubtless pretty well sated with the political speeches, political articles, and political letters which of late have monopolised so large a share of the reading matter m the papers, still any reliable indications of the feeling of the country with regard to the vexed question Freetrade or Protection — the real bone of contention which has thrown thecountryirito a ferment and roused the slumbering sympathies of the people, will, we feel sure, prove interesting to the great majority of the people. Editors of provincial papers, however, labor under the disadvantage of not having the same means of arriving at a satisfactory solution of the question we have proposed, as their more fortunate brethren m any of the chief centres of population possess. We therefore, offer no apology for reproducing the result of the researches of one of the latter as furnished m the "Aucklanc Evening Bell " of last Friday week. Oui contemporary writes thus :— "lt is amusing to see the supercuilious ait with which Mugwumperie disports itsell m face of the coming elections, and assumes as a settled fact that the detested doctrines of Protection are simply nowhere. We have had the opportunity of comparing the public declarations already made by candidates m the field for election, and though the state of the field before the battle is not necessarily that which is presented to the eye when the storm of battle is over, there is something to to be learned from the state of ihe battalions as they are moving into line. Well we find that of the whole list of those who have announced themselves, no less than m have declared m favor of Protection to native indusfries, while 67 have announced themselves as being m favor of Freetrade. Besides these there are some 36 or 37 who are sitting on a rail, being either undecided m their views or not declaring them, but generally waiting to see how the cat jumps. For a candidate m this interesting position there is usually a good deal of illumination derived from a glance at the probabilities of success, and as thiDgs at present promise we are warranted m thinking that the "doubtfuls" will for the most part drop m among the party with the largest battalions. But looking at the candidates as they have already declared themselves, we have the significant fact before, us that 11 1 have appealed to the people m support of Protection against 67 whose idiosyncracies force them to close their eyes to their surroundings, and to stubbornly adhere to the school of Freetrade m which they had learned their A.B.C.'s, We do not for a moment maintain that this will be the proportion which the result of the contest wiil show when the numbers are up, but the chances are altogether that it will. But what we do maintain is that it may very fairly be taken as an indication of the condition of public feeling on the subject at the present hour. If nearly twice as many Protectionist candidates are m the field, we fairly assume that the people from whom these have spontaneously arisen show a like division of feeling j and as most candidates, even the honestest of them, usually adjust their sails to the wind, we may pretty fairly conclude that as intelligent men, they have a shrewd idea as to the particular way m which the wind blows m their several districts." Our contemporary proceeds to point out the significance of the fact " that m all the large centres the Protectionist candidates are far to the front. In Dunedin, oF nine candidates for the several sections, only one has declared for Freetrade, while six have nailed the Protection colors to the mast. In Christchurch only Protectionist candid dates have had the courage to announce themselves at the date of our compilation, . , . In Wellington, of six candidates only one has declared for Freetrade, although the papers there have all been trying to lash up the people to a blind fury against the Government. That the great bulk of electors all over New Zealand are m favor of Protection may very fairly be deduced from the declaration of principles by the candidates that woo their sweet voices} and that the coming Parliament will be overwhelmingly Protectionist is as clear as that the sun shines m the heavens." We confess that we are somewhat surprised at this result of our contemporary's investigations, but our surprise is not excited by the great majority who have declared for Protection, but, that after the bitter experience of the Mother Country of the fallacy 0! the Freetrade doctrine so many even a: sixty-seven-should have declared for it, We trust that our contemporary's prognostication of the coming Parliament being "overwhelmingly ProtecI tionist " will prove correct, for then the Opposition will have done the colony good service m having forced the Government to appeal to the country on this fundamental question) and thus having it settled once and foi ever.