THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1868.

Grey River Argus, Volume V, Issue 348, 7 April 1868, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1868.

t The infirmities of our Hokitika conl temporary the " West Coast Times" J have for some time been painfully apb pai-ent to its readers. But although [ the evidence of its failing faculties has ' been undeniably strong, few persons [ could have expected that a journal pro i fessing to occupy a leading position cou.ldhavemadesnchamelancholyexb.ibii tion as was afforded by our contemporary on Saturday last. We have read some very good things in the " West Coast Times," and we have read many bad i ones, but we never read such a childish 1 effusion as the leading article in its Saturday's issue. During an electioneering contest, the advocates of rival candidates are allowed a little extra license in the indulgence of their proclivities, and good slashing attacks

are rather a desirable feature of the struggle than otherwise ; provided, they are honorably conducted. But precious little prowess in this line has been shown by our contemporary, although it was both champion and vassal of the man whom it delighteth to honor, Its efforts have been confined to one object only —to elevate the Mayor of Hokitika on every possible occasion, j And now that it finds that these efforts ! have been unavailing — although cunniug, strategy, and duplicity have each and all been tried — it sits down in a corner and cries like a schoolboy -who has lost a game at marbles, Not having the grace to accept a fair and honorable defeat, it must needs take refuge in ascribing the result to all sorts of imaginary causes, and depreciating the fortunate winner. The misfertune is that our contemporary's temper has run away with its common sense, and led it to be guilty of the grossest absurdities, We defy -Anyone to find a logical conclusion either in the article we have referred to, or in Mr. Shaw's address. It is rather a novelty to assume that because nine men in Hokitika chose to vote against Mr, Shaw, they were his " enemies," and it is a still more novol sort of reasoniiag to say that because only one vote in favor of the gentleman just named was recorded at Greymouth, there is "no independent opinion whatever" here ; or that the nine votes in Hokitika for the rival candidate were any proof of the existence of independent opinion. It is also an unusual reason to employ against a rival candidate that he had lost in two previous contests, or owed his election only to a narrow majority. Will our contemporary admit it to be a fair argument against Mr. Shaw's fitness on some future occasion that he has twice attempted to get a seat in the Assembly, «.ud twice failed 1 Assuredly not, The writer of the article we refer to could not surely have seen the inevitable tendency of his arguments. If, as he puts it, the reason why Mr, Shaw only polled one vote in Greymouth, was because the people here would only have a local man, the same explanation may be found for Mr. Shaw's rival only getting nine votes in Hokitika. As to the statement that the contest has been simply one between the two towns, and not in any way affected by the merits of the candidates, we can only say that Mr. Shaw's champion must place a very small value on him, We can assure our contemporary that theie has never been a contest in Greymouth where the votes have been so much influenced by personal feeling as the last. Until the " West Coast Times " and Mr Shaw thought fit to ascribe the result to loca^ jealousy, not the least word was ever heard of the kind, nor did any such feeliug, we are sure, have the slightest effect on the election. We are told that Greymouth won the day because the mining franchise gave it a numerical superiority over the household electors of Hokitika. Our contemporary is mistaken. Some forty miners voted, it is true, but a hundred registered householders in the town were prevented from voting, because, being located on native laud, they could only vote for the district of Westland South. Had not this been the case, Mr Shaw's defeat would have been very much more complete than it has been. There is very little good to be gained by discussing all these matters, and it would have been far more to the purpose if both Mr Shaw and his organ had frankly accepted the result, and endeavored to unite all parties in the effort to benefit the general welfare. There is something exceedingly paltry. in the attempt that has been made to sow the seeds of dissension between the two towns, and in assuming that because the Greymouth candidate has been successful, the interests of Hokitika must suffer. Petty arguments like these may perhaps be excused when a seat in a Vestry or Town Board is concerned, but they are simply ridiculous on an occasion like the late election.