The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1887. OPPOSITION MISSTATEMENTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1654, 5 September 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1887. OPPOSITION MISSTATEMENTS.

The principal feature of the tactics of the Opposition party and its organs during the present campaign has been persistent wilful misstatements against the Governmsnt. When these had been refuted, and a reaction m consequence had set m, there was a brief cessation of this objectionable method of conducting political warfare, but from our exchanges from all parts of the colony we gather that the issue of the writs was tha signal for a fresh outbreak of these virulent and slanderous misstatements. Their cause must be extremely weak when they have to resort to such means as these. The case is almost a hopeless one, however, and no doubt they see that desperate remedies must be resorted to to save the patient's life. This frequently happens m medical practice, with the result that m nine cases out of ten the sufferer succumbs. The Opposition party find themselves m extremis. It is a matter of the utmost importance that they should be restored to health and power, for there are many things that they would like to do which no one else would do for them. They want to open the land to the land-sharks once more so that they can increase their already vast domains ; they want to prevent their colossal estates contributing a fair proportion to the taxation of the country, and they want to have their runs converted into freeholds, or the leases renewed for a long term on easy conditions. These are to them most important matters, and must be done during the ensuing Parliament or never. This is certainly a desperate case, and perhaps we ought not to be surprised at any desperate remedy being resorted to m the hope of obtaining relief— not even if it be slanderous misstatements. Their misstatements and misrepresentations have been numerous and | flagrant, but their piece de tesistance is a cunningly devised slander which they are m the habit of throwing at the Government on every opportunity which presents itself, or is extemporised for the purpose, under the impression that the oftener it is repeated the greater is the chance of its " telling " m one or two instances. It is the assertion that the Government want to impose new and additional taxation of a crushing nature. " This (as the " Wanganui Herald " well observes) is one of those falsehoods which men who proudly assert they never told a lie, feel no shame m telling. The Government have no wish to add to the burdens of the people, who are now paying about £2 per head m the shape of Customs duties, as against 6s five years ago, when Major Atkinson and his friends were m power. The Customs revenue has fallen to the extent of nearly half a million during the time the Stout Ministry has been m office, and the result is, that it must be re-instated to some extent, no matter who is Treasurer, if we are to pay our way as an honorable people. If the colonists discontinued the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the use of tobacco, the decrease such an alteration m the habits of the people would cause m the Customs revenue would leave the Treasurer of the day face to face with a deficiency of considerable magnitude, but it should not affright him, as it would simply have to be made good from some other source. To charge him with inflicting new and crushing taxation, m re-instating the revenue, would le a misuse of terms, and a false statement, and this is just what the Opposition and their organs are doing now, m order to try and turn the electors against the Stout Government. Major Atkinson, m his Wellington speech, admitted that the Customs revenue would have to be reinstated, but he claims to be the best person to entrust with the task. Will the electors endorse his claim, and send him and bis supporters back to Parliament with a majority to carry the Opposition programme out ?" We do not imagine for one moment that they will. The electors know too well what they may expect under an Atkinson-Hatt-Ormond regime to run any risk m the matter by giving stray votes to Opposition candidates.