TOWN EDITION The Daily Telegraph MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3265, 19 December 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION The Daily Telegraph MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1881.

Sir WiLLTAAt Fox does not seem to be at all satisfied with the result of the Rarigitikei election. At the declaration of the poll he is reported to have said that, "if on taking legal advice, there were found any grounds to upset the election, the electors might rest satisfied that he would use every means in his power which the law allowed for tbe purpose." He attributed his own defeat, apparently, to not having been the nominee of the proprietor of the Wanganui Herald ; to not having had his speeches prepared and information supplied by that gentleman; to not having taken four-horse coaches all over the country filled with residential elector? to secure supposed votes of confidence where none existed ; to not having asked for a single vote personally; to not having invited anyone to have a drink for the purpo=e of securing their votes; to not having placed boys on tbe roll who were not qualified ; and to not having disgraced his opponent by engaging an ex-convict to parade the streets in a red coat, blowing a cows-horn and leadiug a couple of dogs. By implication he accuses the successful candidate of all this, and hence his hope, presumably, that he may he able to upset the election. With the exception of putting the names of boys on the roll, and of buying votes with drink, we do not see why Sir William could not have done all that he accuses his opponent of doing. Could he not have had eight horses to a coach where Mr .Stevens bad only four ; was it beneath his dignity to ask for a single vote—and he only lost the election by two; and above all could he not have employed two or more exconvicts to parade the streets? In the good old days candidates for Parliament were not too big for their boots, and we do not see that a colonist need be too proud to personally ask for that which a celebrated Duchess did not think too dearly bought with the ofter of her cheek to a butcher. With our prominent colonial statesmen it is the fashion to think, when they are defeated, that they have not been beaten fairly ; whereas the chances are that the success of their opponents was due to the mere use of weapons that were available for all alike. If a man is too proud to soil his fingers by tbe use of such weapons he has only himself to blame. We rather think, however, that the pride is assumed to save the purse. The four-horse coaches, and the men in red coats, cost money, and some statesmen think that everybody should 6pend money to secure their election but themselves. It is, of course, a very lamentable circumstance that votes are won and lost by the veriest trifles. That an election can be made to turn on a ridiculous caricature, a witty lampoon, or a happy bon mot, is so well known that we are surprised at old parliamentarians weeping at such weapons being used against them. If Sir William Fox had known how to play his cards properly, Mr Stevens, or any other new hand, would not have stood a chance against him.