AN ELECTION ANECDOTE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1259, 16 April 1886, Page 3

AN ELECTION ANECDOTE.

The Wellington ‘ Evening Press,’ in an article on the cordial reception given to Sir Julius Yogel at Auckland, and the equally cordial recep~ tion given in the same city to Sir George Gry and Major Atkinson, says :—“ It reminds us of a scene that actually occurred during an extremely hot contested election on the West Coast a few years ago. In a certain ) emote mining township, where the votes were numerous enough to be worth looking after, the green candidate had teceived an unanimous vote of confidence from a meeting where every man in the district for miles around had. been present. The blue candidate thought the case past praying for, but still, out of courtesy, and on the chance of gaining a vote or two, he went up to address the electors. Everybody came, everybody san bieathless while he was speaking, and ivhen he had done a vote of confidence in him was moved, seconded, and carried unanimously, with every demonstration of enthusiasm. He was elated beyond measure by his success, so much so that he could not keep his joy to himself. Addressing a stalwart digger, who had ‘ shouted ’ for all hands after tho meeting, with whom he naturally conceived to be a specially ardent supporter, he said : “ Well, I’ve done a good night’s work. After the impression my oppo* nent made, I never expected to get a vote of confidence here.’ ‘Oh,’ replied the digger, unconsciously pouring contempt on all his pride, ‘ that’s nothing. We’d give a Chinaman a vote of confidence in this gully-’ A Chinaman, it should be mentioned, is in the eyes of the miners the lowest form of animal life; and the beautiful impartiality of the electors of that locality could not have been more forcibly expressed than by that figure of speech When polling day came the green candidate got seventy-two votes and the blue candidate seventythree, the odd v>ter being a ‘batter,’ who had walked over from another gully, and did not know any election was going on till he got opposite the polling booth, when he went in and voted for the candidate whose name was last on the list, because he said he did not like to see a man put upon like that.”