A WEST COAST POLITICIAN.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 11, 4 May 1877, Page 2

A WEST COAST POLITICIAN.

The Lvtfle'.ou Times thus- sums op ore of ihe candidates for ToUra s— • " A gentleman of ihe name of Grim* mond was a candidate fir the vacant seat ofTolara. Judging by a speech of his, ; which occupied two columns of the l>oss Guardian, «re should sty that legislation is about the last thing that Mr Orimmond is fit for. His profession of fakh is the Mikonui water race. This is the Bill of Bights by which Government must stand or fall. Mr Grimmond begins by attacking ihe Government, ostensibly for their want of success in devising a sys» tern of Government, but it soon becomes evident that their neglect ef the Mikonui water race has earned them his hostility. He evidently is ignorant of constitutions, ■ but he knows a great deal, and cares still more, about Mikonui. Does he believe in progression ?' Of course he does. Says he, 'If the General Government works were stopped that would mean an end to . the Mikonui race.' He tells his hearers that he is not mercenary, but he must hare Mikaui. He boasts that no Govern* ment can dim the lustre of his independence, bat at the same time be artlessly makes it evideut that a promise to con* stroct Mikonui will buy bis vote on any subject. One sluukfc rs at the prospect of seeiog such a man s^t-ng in Parliament. He* wants manhood suffrage. Of course Le c'nes ; but as to haring any inte'iigent ideas on the subject, his best friend can never credit htm with, the nearest approach to such Iliiogs. He gives his. reason thus :—• I have lived longer in Boss than- in any other place since I was born, and my experience is that it should be manhood suffrage.' Dreadful man 1 There is a cool audacity of ignorance about this which speaks more for Mr Grimmond's courage than for his fitness to be a legislator. The Mikonui race for the district, a vote for every man in it, and business licenses to inhabitants ot Boss for 99 years for £8, abolition, of the miners' right and the gold duty— these and similar arguments abound in the remarkable speech of this remarkable specimen of the brethren of the ' stamp ;' but of any proof that he knows anything of what he undertakes to perform, there is a lamentable ignorance. His peroration is sublime, as may be seen by the opening words i ' A mm talking about himself is a ticklisjf subject. If you see the know ledge and honesty that may possibly dove* tail into a legislator, yon may be sure I will follow up the path to the end.' The meaning is inscrutable ; one thing only is clear. It appears certain that when some men talk about themselves they do get hold of a tiaklish subject. We hope the electors of Totara will not get hold of this one." a