The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1911. MR BYRON BROWN'S ADDRESS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 3 October 1911, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1911. MR BYRON BROWN'S ADDRESS

The political speech delivered at Levin, last night, by Mr Byron Brown. in support of his Parliamentary candidature for • Ota Id Electorate, was full of bright phrases and whimsical comparisons; freighted with a proportion of sound criticism, and relieved with some humorous irrelovancics. As to the irrolevaneies, wo have yet to Come across the public, speaker who keeps his discourses qui to free from these. Tak-

Mr Brown's speech as a whole, we are impelled to .say till at while some of his animadversions upon the Government were too sweeping, and certain of his criticisms upon their financial operations Somewhat unfair, there were nevertheless many points in his speech that were of a quality and a degree of reasoning to maike thinking men more thoughtful. Ha.'.dng regard to some recent happenings, it was pleasing to find the candidate .so mserved in ! his references to them. His whimsical remark that he had " a contrite and a chastened heart " greatly tickled his auditors' .sense of humour; flinl when, at a Inter stage, 'lie protested that although only two men in Levin could buy native land under present conditions, he (Mr Brown) knew too much to tell the reason or mention their names, the audience redoubled its laughter. The tone of last night's meeting in Levin was a reflex- of the tone of meetings held by the candidate in other parts of the constituency during hvt week. It was clou- that recent happenings had not prejudiced the candidate in any degree that is manifest upon the surface. Far from it. Personally we have had acquaintance with this candidate's meetings in two previous elections, and. we can vouch that none of them within our knowledge was as favourably disposed towards him as was last night's meeting at Levin. Some people have 'been sedulously cultivating an impression in the constituency that Mr Brown would have no chamce in the ballot, but our own impression, after last uight's meeting, was that the Opposition Party in this electorate must have felt a regret that so keen a fighter had been officially "turned down." Andi the regret well may have heen founded upon a calculating 'basis as well as upon a sentimental one. We have no desire to deceive this candidate into a belief that we shall support liiim ; we stand ior the retention in office .of the present Government which has done so much to help forward this country. Mr Brown, on the other hand,, is for giving it as effective a conge as he can; and hence it is unavoidable t'h<at we are not on Mt Brown's side. But we do feel th>at litis general speech and criticisms are of a noteworthy quality, and. we unreservedly say that his rejection by the Opposition seems a tactical blunder. If ho was passed over hecaiuso the voice tof scandal touched him, the blunder was the greater; for, unless we misread ,tlie present signs, it is a. spirit of objection to that species of political assassin that is responsible for the latest manifestations of favour which the candidate is receiving.