WAIPAWA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3260, 13 December 1881, Page 3

WAIPAWA.

(FROM OtTB OWN OORKKSPOBDENT. , ) December 12, 1881.

Politics have pushed aside all note of ordinary pagsing events in this electoral district. The candidate's contest has ceased, and the old identity has been joßtled from the front by a new ideal personified in Mr W. C. Smith. Universal suffrage bas become rampant—powerful in effervescence. And so the working man has been led on to exercise bis newborn liberty, not calmly and bravely — Certainly not with a sense of pelf-reliance —in time he will think for himself, and doubt whether his judgment had arrived at the years of discretion when he ousted a man of parliamentary talent and capacity because his private nature was not liberal. Cautious, careful, clcee in his own affairs, wh& be not the man for the time." ? Compelling the Ministry to cut down the public expenditure, harshly, rather than not at all. True the ten per cent reduction in the Civil Service was hard upon the working man but not so much so as upon the high salaried official. The working man could knock oft his beer and shouting easier than £800 a-year could deny its luxuries and over-expenditure. It had to be done, and Mr Ormond did it. A man of Mr Ormond's habits—call it mean if you will—ia invaluable, where a Government is compelled to yield to extravagance from outward pressure, and the new constituency of Waipawa will find out that the work which they have dove is not to break up the monopoly of large *■ landowners and absentees, but to bind the fetters more firmly round their own necks, by enabling the Government to get rid of an incubus upon their log-rol-ling rut. Only nominally, was the contest " Smith v. Ormond " ; practically it was " Ormond-out v. Ormond-in" at any price. Onr future Mayor and Corporation, economically combined in one human curvature, would have answered the purpose all the came, perhaps better, as he is a genuine " Waipawa man." The contending forces were marshalled under tbe command of "General Jack' , and " General Ebenezer " (we will drop the " H," as it is an awkward letter.) In this case extremes met undoubtedly ; Jack's tactics were everywhere, and Ebenezer'a nowhere. On the one side was a complete organization, on the other comparatively none. If Mr Ormond had been a more expansive man than he is (he can't help his make) hie own effort

would have secured hfs return ; but as his deficiency was patent to his supporters, they ought to have supplemented the failing from their own experience. Above all places Mr Ormond should have given addressesat Ashley-Clinton andWaipnkurau ; such a display of moral courage might not have gained him the votes of any " Smithites," but it would have prevented some weak " Ormondites " being drawn over to the other side. Besides, the working man, with all his bounce (if he has any), is open to a compliment. This was an oversight of his advisers. Something had been said about tbe victory being won by beer. Tbis imy have been the case, but decidedly not in the shape of bribery. Mr Smith's General had a pleasant manner of getting a few shearers and others together, and opening a conversation with the usual " What'g yours?" The assembled company responded, and soon warmed on the subject—shouting round and round, but not at the General's expense, although he was always liberal. It is ofno conseqence, but, many of these free and independent elec'ors spent more money on these occasions than they will pay for the dog tax during the next three years. In conclusion, let all good electors, on behalf of tbeir representative men, obey tbe church and join in this petition, " That all things may be so ordered and settled by tbeir endeavor upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations. These and all other necessaries for them, we humbly beg," &c,