THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1667, 20 September 1887, Page 3

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

We are very glad to learn that the support accorded to the Government candidates m the country districts is far m excess of that which seemed probable some two or three months ago. At that time by dint of the manoeuvres of the Opposition party to which we have felt, of late, to allude an antagonism to the present Government had been worked up to fever heat, and the prospects of the Ministerialists were certainly none of the brightest. But after the Premier and more especially the Colonial Treasurer had addressed various meetings, the electors gradually became convinced that they had been somewhat trifled with, and their common sense insulted. A reaction ensued, which has told most disastrously on the Oppositionists. The electors saw that the Oppositionists did not " boggle " at anything m their endeavors to disparage the present Ministry. Misrepresentation, misslatements,distortion of figures and facts bristled throughout their addresses, and they were not above stooping to the circulation of slanderous insinuations, damaging to their opponents. We have recently had occasion to notice several of these, and we are not without hope that our exposures of their startling mendacity will, if it has not already, produce a healthy political feeling, m the various districts with which we are interested, which cannot fail of being beneficial to the Government. As far as present indications go, there is every promise of an " United Canterbury," such as we have not had for years, being a powerful factor m the House of Representatives. This will secure to the Government something very different from the half-hearted, lukewarm support according to them last session, It seems to us that there must be a considerable amount of the non-patriotic element leavening the Canterbury constituencies, it their votes show that the Opposition candidates do not forfeit their deposits. Surely the electors of Canterbury have not forgotten what a " severe example " Sir John Hall, and through him his Government, made of Canterbury m the njatter of expecting great things from haying *■' a Minister '' to represent them. It they have, we have not j it still sticks m our gizzard. We fail to see the "Joe Miller" of Canterbury being drained as the milch cow for the colony. If the Canterbury electors wish a continuance of this depleting process they will vote for the AtkinsonHall parly, who quietly robbed Canterbury of a million and a half sterling, to which she was justly entitled. Can the Canterbury electors afford to do his? We think not