The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1896. THE ELECTIONS.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 132, 3 December 1896, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1896. THE ELECTIONS.

To-morrow */i\i be decided the fate of the Government wUicfo has guided the destioies of tbe colony far tfcs pnst sixyears. Under ordinary circa msta.f ices a tolerably correct idea can oh formed as to the possible results of the e!ec- | tian. judging by the personnel of the ca.adi4a.tea aud the manner of their reception by the electors, but a rev.' force ha« aricao }ji the Prohibition party which inakea it /yipossible to form an opinion which may fct doomed reliable. The candidates are divj^* into Government, Opposition, a&d ' Independent Liberals. Some are pledged on the side of Prohibition, some are against, and others are lukewarm. Sq t+r us the policy of the Government in ttut pa#t is coucerned, even their opponent* admit- they have dane some good. It i« sflleg&i they have accentuated the depreasieft toy

putting the extra burden of the interest on five millions on the shoulders of the taxpayers, which has, naturally enough, led to a decrease in washes and an increase in the Customs tariff on articles of common use in the house hold. The principal indictment against them, however, is that they went to the country pledged to a non-borrow-ing and self reliant policy— a pledge they have violated in every respect. When they discovered they could not carry out the pledge they had given to the people it was their manifest duty to have gone to the country and enunciated their new policy, which, we sincerely believe, was only made necessary by the exigencies of their new and changed circumstances, and a pos sible ignorance of the financial condition of the colony they had undertaken to control and direct. Of the candi- ' dates for the Rangitikei seat we can ' only speak in terms of the highest I esteem. Both are well-known settlers, i both are men of unimpeachable character, and we believe that the election will be a close one, and whoever wins ' will be a representative worthy of the ' honor conferred on him. Mr Bailey, i although pledged to support the Government in their main policy, will not «o to Parliament with his hands tied. Mr Lethbridge, who is an Independent | Liberal, but opposed to the present i administration, if returned will be a useful member, well qualified to protect the best interests of his constituents. The settlement of the question is iv the hands of the electors, and we will rest content with the result of their decision to morrow.