THE GLOBE. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1882. THE STANMORE ELECTORS AND MR. PILLIET.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2596, 2 August 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1882. THE STANMORE ELECTORS AND MR. PILLIET.

The electors of Stanmoro, or at least one section of them, seem to ba endeavoring to introduce into our political matters a very mischievous and pernicious element. We do not intend on the present occasion to discuss the question whether Mr. Pilliet has or has not kept tho promises he is alleged to have made. That does not concern the point we wish to impress npon our readers, which is an exceedingly important one, deserving every consideration. Under the present institutions of the British dominions a man elected to represent his fellow citizens in Parliament is so elected as a representative,

and not as a mere puppet. He is suppo«ed to a sen iiia own judgment ia connection-^itif/matters likely to com© before* 'him and*to veto accordingly. But this is-not what the electors of Stanmoro want,' or at least those of them who were present *last night at the meeting. They appaar to desire that their member shall bo tha tbol and act according to the diota.tea.ols a knot of burning and shining local political lights who in reality wish to occupy the position of member for Stanmore. They appear to forget, apart from the humiliating position into which _ they appear to want to thrust Mr. Pilliet, that he is not only the representative of the particular district which happens by good fortune to possess within it a Glephane, but of Canterbury as well. It is his duty, when considering how ho shall vote on any particular question, to consider equally with, if not superior to, the claims of his particular district, those of Canterbury as a whole. Thus, apart - from the fact that, as we have pointed

out, a most dangerous element would bo introduced into our political life, the malcontents really form but a very infinitesimal part of the constituency. No man with any sense of what was due to himself would consent to occupy the position sought to be established by Mr. Clephano and his friends, and we cannot hut strongly denounce the proposal, which is the gist of the whole matter, that any member of the House is to bo subservient to a few noisy demagogues, and forced to vote as they may dictate. Once admit the right of people such as Mr. Clephane and his friends to send forth manifestoes from their respective little Pedlingtons, and Parliamentary representation becomes a farce, and even worse. If this be the Liberalism that Mr. Clephane and his

friends are so fond of preaching about, then rather, far rather, the most ultra Conservatism. The arch apostle of Liberalism, Sir George Grey, is fond of drawing teaching and eloquent pictures of the working men of New Zealand as a race of serfs, ground down by a tyrannical Government and merciless capitalists. But here is a despotism far worse than ever Sir George, in his wildest oratorical flights, dreamt of. We find Mr. Clephane and his friends' the selfconstituted autocrats of Stanmore, because their elected member does not obey to the uttermost letter the ukase issued by them, actually calling npan him to resign, branding him as a political traitor, and even threatening personal violence. If that is not attempting to introduce a slavery horse, then we do not know what is. We do not intend to say one word on the subject of whether Mr. Pilliet acted rightly or wrongly in the course he has taken. He is of course accountable to bis constituents at the proper time for wbat he has done. Then, and then only, is the time and place for the people to express their views, after having heard an explanation of the reasons which induced their member to give his vote one way or the other. But to attempt, by a resolution passed at a meeting such as that held last night, to induce a member to place himself in the hands of Mr. Clephane and one or two others, like a puppet, so that they may pull the strings as they list, is an insult and a disgrace to Canterbury. The resolution, so far as.any weight it may have, is not worth the paper it is written on. Mr. Pilliet has been returned for three years, and, willy nilly, the electors of Stanmore must, if he desires to remain, be content to accept him as each. We have called attention to this unwise and mischievous attempt to interfere with the undoubted right of every representative to use his judgment upon any subject, because, if allowed to pass unnoticed, it will form a precedent. We shall have small sections arising in all parts of constituencies led by men having a little oratory, and still less sense, who will claim to dictate to their particular member the way ho shall vote. Are the people of Canterbury content to allow this to occur. We think not. If it were to obtain, we should find onr representatives composed of a class known as political adventurers, men who, for the sake of honorarium attached to the position and the possible opportunity of obtaining an office, would be content to back and fill and vote under orders of red hot politicians like Mr. Clephane. No one, whether he he Liberal or Conservative, would like to sea this come about. Yet, without exaggerating one iota, this is just what the meeting of last night means. Mr. Pilliet dared to vote on his own responsibility, contrary to the way in which Mr. Clephane and other members of the Stanmore political junta desired, ergo he mast be removed and a more pliant and less independent man substituted. The people can now judgo in how far the people here who designate themselves Liberals are entitled to the name. It surely cannot be liberal to desire to deprive a man of the right of his opinion, to sand him into the Parliament of the country as a representative of free men, with his hands tied and a despotic secret session directing his movements by telegram. Yet this is what Mr Clephane and his friends, who have been so loud in their claims to bo considered Liberal, have dr no. They have constituted themselves the member for Stanmore, and now that the real occupant of that position has removed them somewhat ignominionaly from the formost position of wire-pullers to that of the puppets themselves, who have <0 dance to his music, they do not like it. Few right thinking people will have any sympathy for them at all, hut rather contempt, that they have attempted to drag representative institntionsthrough the wire.