THE ‘DAILY TIMES’S’ POLITICS.

Evening Star, Issue 3447, 10 March 1874, Page 3

THE ‘DAILY TIMES’S’ POLITICS.

To the Editor. Sir, — In your issue of the 2nd instant, you accuse your contemporary the ‘ Daily limes’ of innocency or weakness, in having turned a new leaf by lauding the Conservatives, on the ground that they, the Tories, are supporters of the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and the aristocracy. It seems to me that you have not given the article referred to the attention it deserves, otherwise you would not have arrived at such a conclusion. Oh ! you benighted editor, listen, it is well known that the ‘ Times’ has lately been a great admirer of Mr Vogel, and supported and sympathised with him in the unfortunate position in which he has been placed in being allied to such a set of iucapahles as his colleagues in office, bemoaning the hardness of his lines, and shedding tears of sorrow at the thought of his poor hard-worked brain sue cumbing under the load imposed upon him by their want of capacity. Now, I take it that they see another source of danger to New Zealand in the accession to potyer of the Tories. What wqrk could uot dq, ambition, properly stimulated, may. That is, rob us of Dunedin’s greatest child, as Mr Vogel, in his simplicity, terms himself. Strange cincidence—Napoleon called himself tho child of France ; but I suppose nature always gives greatness something in common, so that blunders may not occur, but will assert itself in such a way that no oue will fail to detect the genuine from the assumed. I said the writer of the article saw a danger to Sew Zealand in the Conservative accession to power j but then what is New Zealand’s loss is her greatest son’s gain, and is that not sufficient to make the ‘ Times’ jubilant, and call anyone like yourself, who caunot see the connection, an old fogie ? Now I, being in the confidence of the mah'gucd but farieeing * Times,’ will tiy aud show what we must be prepared for, and that ere long. When the public works and immigration scheme was first propounded gieab opposition was offered to it in Otago. It was denounced in the Press and from the platform. When its author attempted to explain it he could not get a hearing, but was hooted and howled at, as if he had proposed a plan for bis own especial honor and glory, instead of one that only a mighty intellect could devise, and a patriot of purest motives carry out to success. Ihe Superintendent of Otago, with a chivalry that few men would have shown to one who had written and spoken so much agaimt himself, took an opportunity of not only explaining the pro posals, but urged their adoption, and expressed a very high opinion of Mr Vogel: predicting that the day would come when he would be called to a wider sphere, and one more in keeping with his mighty powers of mind aud administrative ability—a most unfortunate prognostic for this country. As a very small spark sometimes raises a great fire, so the prospect thus opened to tho mind qf Mr Vogel by one whom fee, like the majority of the inhabitants ofOlaj;o, believes to be a keen observer of character, would naturally fire his ambition ; and who can blame or wonder at his endeavoring to prove that the estimate was a correct and just one? And, as if Providence had determined to aid and facilitate tho ac omplis.Lm>nt of such a destiny, at the very nick of time behold Sir James Fergusson is sent to fee our Governor —a gentleman Irgh in the confidence of the Tory pm-ty, and on whose judgment the utmost reliance' cah be "placed. He comes just in time to' see the wonderful result of the grand policy inaugurated by qur prodigy By a wqntlerfql' popqtixnation of circumstances he (the Governor) meets this child of the Province here. Aq opportunity presents itself for qur genius to smash up the crude theories of such men as Cobden, Bright, and all the rest of the free-trade clique, who were thought by ordinary men to be sound in their deductions, and that the measures they had been instrumental in passing had helped to lead to Britain’s greatness and prosperity. How amazed Sir James must have been at discovering this paragon iu such an out of the way corner of the world as New Zealand—his heart must have boat double quick as the idea struck him- now the time to my devotion to the party which has such confidence in me. The Whigs discovered and brought tq their yanks great talent iu the person of the Hon. Robert L jw ; but, behold, a greater than Bob is here, and withal so artless and unsophisticated ; no meretricious display, but nature’s child (as well as Dunedin’s) in every act and movement. Then since that lucky accession see what firmness and true knowledge of human nature, as well as the duties voters and voters’ members owe to Government, aud geniuses at their head. That lesson taught the people of Nelson, in the early part of the entertainment there—how judicious the PB^Vf re qf' re P ro qf and promises of favor on bettet behaviour 1 No over-doing the thing. None of the ill-tempered displays the Eight Hon, Bob is so guilty of. Oh, my party, the enlightened Conservatives, must secure this wonder for themselves. They shall have the gain, and I, Sir James, the glory.. I can now afford to treat the rest of the beggarly colonists as becomes a Tory gentleman. What is public business ? Bosh ! I may shoot and yacht to my heart’s content, the party that will be so much my debtor Tfill never dqro to notice piy acts, however rude or erratic they rqay'be.' Now, sir, your contemporary being aware of all this, and much that has since occurred, is quite justified in using the term old fogey ; and you and all like you (out in the dark) must submit with a good grace to the reproach, if you think it one, and eat your own words. How dare you, sir, taunt the * Times ’ with whirling about with any change of political position ? They never changed but once, and can you blame them ? If the grand scheme was beyond their comprehension and they opposed it with abuse instead of argument, pave they not shown themselves qpea to conviction and admitted their erroV; has the chief editor not been one of the committee to do honor and will profit to the misunderstood ? Are they not now glorying in the party’s accession to power that is to advance their favorite interests, although it may be to their own loss. Now, where is the imbecility ? You must take that home, sir, as being your due, and please for the future think and weigh matters you don’t understand before you dare to rush into print, otherwise you will have to suffer for your temerity. I have taken the trouble to write this for your benefit, and if I have misused any confidence placed in me, the end justifies the means. (Now that is a good dogma, and acted upon in high quarters). It is for yquv and the country’s good. Preparation mubt bb inode for tlie loss to b/e ‘sustained.' Be up and doing. Send another of Dunedin’s children. Barton is willing to he the sacrifice; help him to keep cool in the Runtime, or

he may spoil things, for he has a tendency to blaze. But, sir, time will not permit (and a good thing too, or I might tell other secrets) me to do more just now than subscribe myself —Your outspoken friend, J. S. Dunedin, March 10.