THE NATIVE MINISTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1595, 6 November 1905, Page 3

THE NATIVE MINISTER.

HON. J. CARROLL WELCOMED HOME.

ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING,

Tho old publio library rooms woro orowded on Saturday night with mombors of tbo Committee supporting tho candidate: of tho sitting member for Walapu elootornto. Mr R. M. Birroll, chairman of oommlttoo, presided, and among thoso present were many ladies. On his arrival the Native Minister was aooordod an ovation. The Chairman said ho was voicing the wish of all when ho extended a vory hearty welcome to Mr Carroll. (Applause.) They had had a long experience of Mr Carroll as 0 oandidato, as a mombor, and as a Minister. “He oomes again I as our member and as a oandidato,” said I tha Chairman. “ You are weloome baok, I Mr Carroll; wo extend to you that hearty I welcome that has always been oooorded.” I (Applause.) They had some opposition to I faoe In tho oontest —the extent of it would I bo estimated according 10 individual I opinion. Some people said it was "a I walk over” for Mr Carroll. | Voioe : It is.j I Ho would not like that view to be bo- 1

oeptsd. There was a certain amount 01 opposition that had been organising for two or three years, aod he _ would like every member of the committee to re oogniae that it was a fight (Hear, hear.) One candidate had assured thorn they would not lose their “ Jimmy.” [Voioe : “Wo won’t.’’3 “ No,” said Mr Birrell, “ Wo aro not going to loso him ; wo are not tired of him yet, and wo are determined to put him in again.” (Cheers.) They had heard thoao windy orations (laughter)-that little ooat-lail had boen dragged alODg, and they had been ohal* longed to tramp on it—(laughter.) They were to have been made to squirm. (Laughter.) They had not squirmed yet ; it was the other way—all the squirming had been on that candidate’s side. Mr Carroll’s oommittee had laid down oertaln rules which had been faithfully observed ; they wore not to interfere with any olhor candidate's meeting, to do their part to* wards scouring a fair and patient hearing for opponents. They had sat silent under abuse, and loyally kept to the lines agreed upon. But they left it to Mr Carroll himself to hit hard where the ocoasion needed ; they expected him to do. bo, bnt they knew that whenever he did so he would hit honorably, and as ho always aid, above the belt. (Applause.) He felt like singing that old Sootoh song, " Oh, ye ’a’ been loDg a-oomin’.” (Applause.) Every inch of the ground must be fought. Mr Carroll, while travelling the district, oould rely on his committee doiDg their duly in fulfilment of their pledge to do their part towards having him again re» turned as member foe Waiapu. (Cheers.) The Hon. Jas. Carroll was greeted with warm applause. He expressed his deep acknowledgement of the honor they had again done him, and his appreciation of Iho fidelity with whioh they had borne him in mind in his absence, and that the trust they had reposed in him for many years had been again failhfolly extended. He took it that it was not so much his own part in the fight as the universal support he got from those who were .united with them in the great political struggle that had placed him whore he was. No words on hie part couid express his indebtedness to them for the energy and consistent support they had given him. He was not biased or bigoted in regard to politios, and if there had been anyone else on their own side chosen to fill the position he would be the first one to take bim by the hand and help him into that scat of honor. (Applause.) Whoever their ohoioe might fall on now or hereafter, they should all be true totbe Liberal cause, and any change should be for one of their own side. Their aim was the cause of progress, the improving of things as they found them. The true aspirations of anyooo with a feeling or boul in him, at all attached to his country and the welfare of the people, must take a higher plane, must be on a *loftier elevation, than they sometimes would if on the low, mean ground of parochial differences and prejudices. Now, he understood that they hod the old leaven galvanised into life, and that the old forces were in aotion trying to retrieve what they had lost years ago. It was for the people to consider whether they would trust placing the interest of every man, woman and ohild in the colony to their guidance and administration, or whether they preferred to repose their trust in - those associated with the present Administration, with tho essentials of the legislative provisions of the past twelve years. It was no reason because a certain section of the community thought themselves superior, and that they should bo the leading section, whether Bheepfaimers, capitalists, or wealthy men.and considered their status was highest and must be represented by one of their class ; because they had fought for years to destroy all classes on the political plane, where every man was equal, as every man had to live, some by hard labor, others by use oS their minda, others by lending money, others by making the land productive, and others by giving their services to the colony professionally. In whatever way they hed to live they all made their living in the colony end were deeply interested in its progress. Beoauße fortune favored some, or they were bom to wealth, because they oooupied a higher social station, were they to have the exclusive privilege of saying that they should bo represented by their own olass ? Not soout the idea. Puce representation must not come from either the high or the lower levels—it must be a representation within itself, that would attend to the wants of every man, to the wants oi the community and the nation—that would be fundamentally equitable. They did not want to be tied down to the old. Conservative wall, to be anchored to the old traditions. They had to live for the present and look to the future; ohaDgee came round, and every day they were on the imminence of developments, and must carry their interests along with thorn. They must ooneider the poor man, the disabled man, the widow and the.orphan, (Applause.) Wealth was always strong Lough to look after itself. To give some relief ifc mush be extracted from those who derived their wealth from the colony. After all was said it was the State which bad to pay, and they were all partners in the Slate, and what was required was adjustment on en equitable basis, me chairman had referred to the oharacterof the opposition. They wore to be made squirm—(laughter) —to be smitten hip and thigh, so far as words went; but tho words fell as water from a duck a back. He admired the etoioism of the Liberal party—their calm, cool euduraDoe under ! such declarations and suoh threats, i (Laughter.) He aid not think they bad hutt, oc that aoyouo had passed a sleep* less night. (Laughter.) But there was the challenge, and they wanted it responded to. They wanted this party to ernpioy the Bame taotics, but they were above anything of the kind. (Applause.) He thought nothing about any personal references or weapons of satire used towards himself to depreciate his status among them, beoause two conld play at that game. It resolved itself into a question whether they would raise them into sig- | nificance by paying attention to such I flimey taotics. (Applause.) Where alle-1 gations represented to be faots bad been i made to tho detriment of the cause, reply mußt be made. (Applause.) The Bible was a book that bo revered, and from whioh he took a great deal of his phil- . osophy, but there was one chapter they might almost bogin to doubt—the passage that said Ananias was dead. (Laughter.) Or it seemed that he had lately been reincarnated. The strength of the Liberal party was in maictaining unity and rationally keeping in mind the fight itself, and not departing too far from the nominal liDes. They oould afford to let tho othetß blow their fireworks. When they found them making attacks on personal grounds, making capital out of individual characteristics, distorting facts, declaring themselves Independent, they must be hard pushed. (Laughter.) And so they were hard pushed, (voioe: “ And so thpy will be.”) His opponents were even disputing the question as to which came out first. (Laughter.) One came out as a declared prohibitionist, with the stamp of that seotion of the community upon him; the other came out under the flag of the Farmers' Union. (Laughter.) Or what was supposed to be an effete seotion of the Farmers’ Union—and yet in politios ke

was on ludoponclont—(laughtor) —with a strong loaning towards Mr Massey—(laughter)—who was a fallen rood to loan ca Ho oould assuro them from bis ex* porionoe in politics, that tho Indopondent man was no good as a ropreaontalive; ho must nail his colors to tho mast. Tho present Government would go baok as strong aa ever, 1 Voioe: Yon will go book 100. (Applause.)] Surely ono who had been bom in Now Zealand* who had boon fttsooiutod with the soil, who haS boon with mom from childhood, had os largo a stake and interest in tho oolony as thoso who oamo at a later poriod. (Applause.) I thoro was one thing he was proud of it was that the confidence thoy had reposed in him had enabled him to bo appointed to tho high and honorable position ho hold at the present timo. (Cheers.) When one cams to bo in the highest Council in the land and to still represent the dißlrloi he was born in. ho oould not holp thinking •Broathes there a man with soul so dead Who never to himself hath s»ia, „ 1 This is my own, my native land. —(Cheers.) While they woloomod others who would assist in tho settlement of the oonntry, were they to be given higher privileges than wo possessed ourselves—unless on the ground of merit and ability ? (Applause.) It wsb for thorn and not for him to judge whother tho scale would be turned inj that way. [Voioe : Von osn give them an ounoo or two. (Laughtor.)| He adjurod them all to take tho eleotion seriously to heart, each and overyono to do j their beat to secure viotory, not for him, I but for the cause. (Applause ) Let the I cause triumph. (Applause.) Thoy “°o w I the Blruggloa and odium they had n- j ourred in tho endeavor to secure the proper rights of the people. Capitalists had denounced them because they haul tried to raise ;up labor. They had I been scorned and sooffod at bo- j cause they had provided some little I munilloenoes for the poor ana aged. | [Voioa: " Shame on them.”] When they tried to put hospital matters in a way that I the eiok and ailing must be attended, they | Baid thoro was too muoh legislation and the oountry was sick of it. When thoy I tried to bring in Acts so that the moneybags would not rule but human beings, it was said the oountry was being rained. I (Laughter.) That it was not fit to live in, and they must olear out of it; but did I they olear? (Laughter.) The whole thing was a fight for, -privilege, and the privileged olasses wanted to regain mat j power. We wanted to make our oountry | a fair living one. Thoy had given more consideration and legislative work for the I Bor vices of hutnftoUy than aoy ofch(|f| Administration that had held the position, j (Applause.) They wore not free from faults. Who was ? It was a quostion of proportion, whether the fau'ts or the I merits predominated, and the peoplo were I the judges. (Cheers.) He would be in aotion every'day, and would have to move I round; he had not got a Mahntonga to I ride round, but ho would try to keep the I engagements. He would do his beat, and I at any rate they oould rely that he would i not dishonor them by word or aotion. His fighting would be fair. He had stronger weapons than his opponents—he would j have solid facts to give them. [Voioe : I " Make them squirm.” (Laughter.) | No, I he would not try to make them squirm. I (Laughter.) A mosquito annoyed one at times, and thoy were tempted to crush it, I but they must bear in mind that it wa3 a I mosquito. No; • let them sting; let them I bring about their pin-prioks. They were nothing 1 Our cause, interests, and I welfare were raised far above any I annoyance ono might feel from little I pinpricks of satire. That cause would have faots to depend on, and facts were hard I things. He had been amused in reading the utterances of his opponents, not so I much Mr Wall, but the other one, who op-1 peered to be a kind of po.iiioal desperado, I who was prepared to nan tho hippooket or I the stiletto. (Laughter.) However, there was nothing to disturb their equanimity ; it pleased their opponents, and it did not I harm them. Some of their friends might feel tempted to use ,a “ hairtrigger” to wreak vengeanoe, but let them be oalua I and cool—they would win in the end. He would never seek their confidence as a I roads and bridgee member, but he would I be able to show them-that he had got more for it than anybody else. He con- j oluded by again thanking the committee. I Several points on which Mr Carroll should reply were brought under his j notice. ' In moving a vote of thanks to Mr Carrol), the Chairman said he never had more pleasure in presiding over any body as over Mr Carroll’s Committee. Complete harmony existed and all their meetings were of a very pleasing nature. The motion was carried with prolonged applause, and a vote of thanks was accorded to the Chairman.