THE PROCTECTION LEAGUE.
TO THB EDITOR, Sit, — The busybodies, who style themselves " The Obristcburch Protection League," seem to be remarkably anxious for the enlightenment of us poor rustics. First, they despatched as a missionary to these remote parts a Christchurch photographer, who, illogically enough, utilised his visit for business purposes, whereas it is obviouß tbat if his Protectionist doctrines were sound, the poople of Ashburton ought to have avoided his studio alto^ gather, and bestowed their patronage upon our local man alone. Next, a Mr Bollhouee, of whose existenc3 we had'been previously unaware, burst upon us with strings of well-worn statistics and ancient platitudes, and having thus, as he no doubt imagines, dispelled a little of the Cimmerian darkneap, m which we had hitherto dwelt, he solemnly itsuen an invitation, through your advertising columns, to ■' gentlemen favoring the fostering and encouraging the industries and productions of the colony," to meet him this evening — just as if we couldn't establish, and hadn't already established, local Industries m Ashburton without Mr D. Bellhouso's valuable aid. It really does seem a piece of amazing presumption on the part of these Christchnrch gentlemen to instruct us m this manner. I have lived m Christchurch as well as m Ashburton, and I affirm, without the least hesitation, that if you took indiscriminately from amongst the population of Christchurch and its suburbs, a number of male adults, equal to the adult male population of Aehburton, you would find that, of the two, tbe men of Ashburton were the more intelligent, better read m the politipal contro ver.ies of the d*y, and with a keener , appreciation of the real merits of those controversies. Indeed, if a speaker were to mount a public platform m this town, or m any part of the County of Ashburton, and utter the balderdash which seems to tickle tbe ears of some Chriatchuroh meetings, he would be laughed at. Now, I am not a Protectionist myself, for I am satisfied that if our Customs tariff were framed on strictly Protectionist lines, the result to tbe oountry districts would be most disastrous ; but, it I held opposite views, I Bhould still resent this patronising iv terf erence of the Christchurch Protection League with our affairs, and I trust that the Ashburton Protectionists will do so. They are not, it must be admitted, very numerous, if we are to judge by what occurred at tho publip meeting the other evening, when only seven persons ayowod themselves Protectionists, for although your report of the proceedings would lead to the supposition that there were eight, yet this is explained by the fact that the Chair pa au, fn defianoe of t'ae rules whioh govern the conduct of buainess at suoh meetings, voted twice for the resolution, first, as though he were not Chairman, aud then ho gave aqaßting vote iv its fayor. (You see wbat a belief m Protectionist dootrines will lead a decent man to do I) However, seven or eight, they surely poss-ss brains enough amongst them to know what course to pursue m order to impress their ideas upon the rest 0? the community, aud it is really not complimentary either to their intelligence or the intelligence ef us, who differ from them, that a knot of Christchurch residents, of no particular note, should be permitted to leolure us about Protection, and the proper way to organise ourselves. If they imagine it is their mission to enlighten Ignorance, they qan find plenty of work to do nearer home,— l am, etc., Chas. W, Cornell. lst August, 1888. i
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Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1907, 1 August 1888, Page 2
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595THE PROCTECTION LEAGUE. Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1907, 1 August 1888, Page 2
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