THE REPRESENTATION OF BRIDGE WARD.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 37, 27 July 1870, Page 5

THE REPRESENTATION OF BRIDGE WARD.

{To the Editor of the Cromwell Argus.) Sir, —Mr Kelly has divorced himself from his old love, and is looking for a fresh splice with the Bridge Ward. Ho has published the banns for the first time himself, without consulting the now dame. She has given him no sign, either by flirting, invitation, or encouragement: not even a wink of welcome. He has taken this bold step, trusting, as ho tells us, to Iris merit to do all the rest. If he cannot keep his rival out, and get himself in, he can have the pleasure of driving him out in favour of himself afterwards. Gr. Kelly is not amenable to the law of consequences. If ho were, the election of last Thursday would read him a lesson on law courts and corporation litigants. But he is one of the happy few who act first, and think afterwards. One victim of law will suffice for the present—is more than enough, indeed; Mr Kelly grounds his claims to support on his brilliant services, as shown by the minutes of Council in the Corporation books. Let the halting, the half-hearted, go thither, and read what he has done. Unfortunately, it will be found that Cr. Ke'ly said a good deal, but did nothing. He confounds talking with acting. Where ho sees nothing but works of the highest merit, others see only vain talk, empty blarney. The everlasting talk of himself and his trusty disciple of free speech, did more than anything else to convert Mr Goodger’s large majority of last year into a large minority this year. And what Mr Kelly and his apostle of blarney did for Mr Goodger as Mayor, Mr Kelly will do for himself as Councillor. Mr Goodger has some executive capacity that might help the town in time of need. The hindrance is not in the head, but in the “tail." Two such furious talkers jointed on the nether member would drag down a far better man than Mr Goodger. Let Mr Goodger change his following, and ha will soon change his fortune. A very small part of the world is ruled by talking ; all the rest by silence. But Mr Kelly’s weakness does not lie on the side of dumb action. He tells the Bridge Ward ratepayers that he has a good deal of property there : Mr Burros has none. Mr Kelly’s friends will bo glad to hear this ; perchance a few may be highly gratified. In a pinch, property is needful As for Mr Burres, he never had any purse-proud infirmity. When he meets his creditors, they can all be accommodated in Kidd’s Concert-room, and mayhap squeezed into a somewhat smaller place. But the Bridge Ward voters are duly informed that Mr Burres is an alien, and So disqualified as a Councillor. But what is Mr Kelly in this respect ? He was no doubt born a Briton ; but in everything else he is a foreigner. Ho was bred with foreign tendencies ;—but the less said here the better. Mr Burres may have been bom an American ; but his proud ancestry were Britons of the “ Mayflower.” He was British bred. The laws, the liberties, the religion of his country were all British. Ho has lived in all good citizenship among Britons now nearly twenty years, and it is too late to toll us he is an alien. Mr Kelly speaks of bigotry, and quotes the Holy Bible. Of course he means religion. Hero Mr Burres has no chance with him. All who know anything of Mr Kelly know that ho is highly religious. If the Bridge Ward require a “ Praise God Barobone” Councillor, it will find the genuine article in Mr Kelly. Mr Burres 1s no saint: ho is no Pharisee : he never spices his speeches with cant • he never flavours his newspaper advertisements with texts of Scripture. He is too British for that. In conclusion, Mr Kelly’s piety, as well as sagacity, may be seen by the ratepayers in the choice of the text from the Bible. No other part of the Holy Book could bo so appropriate : it is all about wind. If the ratepayers want to raise the wind, they must look to Mr Kelly ; ho will bring them hurricanes over the bridge that will last the year long. Citizens, make Mr Kelly the man of your choice, and, however wo may come short of water, wo shall have plenty of wind : instead of quarterly, we shall have fortnightly equinoxes. Noll Cromwell. July 23, 1870.