THE KUMARA ELECTION.

Kumara Times, Issue 2522, 21 July 1884, Page 2

THE KUMARA ELECTION.

[to the editor.]

Sir—On the eve of what will be an eventful day in the political history or chronology of New Zealand, io may not be out of place to express an opinion amongst the many now curreub upon the merits or demerits of the

two candidates soliciting the honour of being returned as representatives for this district in the next Parliament, If the contest had to be decided on purely political principles, or even personal qualifications, naturally inherent and artificially improved by a long course of severe training within the political arena, there would be no room for comment, nor could there be any doubts as to the issue of the struggle between the two contending parties. The raw recruit would have to succumb to the trained veteran. But, sir, since neither politics, nor principles, nor yet personal abilities are essential qualifications needed in a candidate to represent a large number of the electors of Kumara, something is required to satisfy their vitiated tastes, and accordingly have brought forward as a champion of the recruits, envy, hatred, and malice (and others) all uncharitableness. These with such poweiful allies as money and revenge may defeat, but will not conquer the veteran. Now the gold miners and working men, who are the real jurors, will be called on to-morrow to decide several causes, of which the following are a type : Personal spite versos political principle; political adept v. political novice; wealth v. labour and intellect; a representative always present v. a representative always absent; social v. social worth; and more sucbf ? could be enumerated but not withotfttrespassing too much, Mr Editrir, on your valuable columns ; conclude, feeling assured that be rendered by the niagnania&us miner.—l am, yours, &c, 4v •■? An Elector. Kumara, July 21, 1884.

[To Mr. John Brampton.] Why vote for Seddon, johnny 1 pray tell me why ; We have a man, pledged for the diggers' sake ; Let me remove the mote within thy eye,' Then shalt thou clearly see to vote for Blake.

The diggers friend, you call him ! oh, fie ! Oh, fie ! He leaves disunion behind in all his

tracks ; Look at the Guardiau, Johnny, you'll then know why We have such burdens now upon our backs.

The ladies ! you say ; God help them if they vote For one who'd grab the honorarium fees ; I want a bottom in the ship or boat To guide me through the great political seas.

Come, vote for Blake ! and don't be groping in the dark ! He'll lead you through the election bustle; When in the Council, Dick taxed the herring cart, And nest he'cll clap it on your muscle. Youk Old Mate. Dillman's, July 21, 1884.

[to the EDITOR.'] Sir—The day being at hand when the electors of this district by their votes will determine which of the two candidates shall be our representative in the next New Zealaud Parliament it is to be sincerely hoped that local jealousies and and private spite will be relegated to the obscurity from whence it came, and the imported candidate will return to his farm a sadder if not a wiser maD. Why are we asked to Vote for Mr Blake ? According to the handbill I have just read, it is the Hokitika Guardian says he is a gentleman in the truest sense of the word, "capable" of taking broad and liberal views of thiugs. The way he has approached the sludge-channel trouble may be taken as a sample of his ability to settle the question for the benefit of all. According to the idea he promulgated at his Dillman's Town meetiDg, the miners on Kumara were to continue paying .£3 per head for water, and Government was to put aside one-third of that amount for the purpose of constructing other tail-races. This a truly rural idea—so broad that is embraces all our troubles. Why, it to my mind would make confusion more confounded. The reduction of. the pi ice of water is one of our main grievances and why those who are not using the Government tail-race should continue to pay .£3 a week for water so that £1 a week should be put aside for constructing other tail-races is one of those thiugs I do not understand. The price of water in this district is too high. Commissioners Giles and Gordon have called the attention of Government to it; the public have petitioned against it: the County and Borough Councils have sent delegates to Wellington in reference to it; and but for the obstinacy of the Minister of Mines —a gentleman whose sympathies are more in favour of cultivators of grass paddocks than those who work in mining paddocks— 'ha reduction of the price of water wou'i have been an

accomplished fact some months since. Ave any of the electors of this district so blind to their interests as not to perceive that the candidature of Edwin Blake is an insult to the intelligence of the electorate ? Has he for the past two years identified himself with any of the various matters of iuterest affecting the West Coast? Did he show any desire to give his brains : towards settling the slodge-chaunel difficulty before he was announced as a candidate? Was he aware that the gold duty was still in existence until told so at Dillman's Town ? His interests and the interests of the electors, are they identical? I think not. The electors' interests are in the development and progress of the district; Mr Blake's in ■what he gets out of it; with the prosperity of this district his interest would disappear —he wouldkhave nothing left in it to bear interest on. Now to Mr Blake, who, in the words of his advocate the Hokitika Guardian, is " capable" of taking broad and liberal views of things. I would give a few words of advice : be like Ciucinatti; retire to your farm; devote your time in seeking some remedy for rust in wheat, or some other kindred subject of importance to the agricultural district in which you reside, and then when " able" to express broad and liberal views, the honour of a seat in the Parliament may be yours without going so far from home. The attempt of the Editor of the Hokitika Guardian to direct our votes is a most consummate piece of impertiuence, which reminds one of an anecdote about a mastiff dog and a cur. The cur, fancying himself annoyed because the mastiff took no notice of him, was always yelping at his heels, aud was so much encouraged by the mastiff's walking on that he at last thought he was driving him, when the mastiff turned round to look at what was making such a noise, the cur, in abject fear, lay down. The mastiff was so careful not to hurt him that 1 ' he' lifted his leg and passed on.; so-'will I, without other notice. A word to those electors who have not yet decided as to which candidate their votes are to be given. Think ■well over the subject: do not allow any trivial dispute between you and our late member to interfere with your judgment; put aside all grievances; do not record a spiteful vote. Mr Seddon has been proved a consistent politician for the past five years. His party is now coming to the front, and will be a powerful elemeut in the new Parliament. Shall we, then, commit political, murder, or suicide, and lose all the advantages of his political training, be-' cause Mr Seddon as a private Citizen has trodden on the toes of a,few people in this town ? No ; I. feel assured that to-morrow the electors will, by a substantial vote in favor of Richard John Seddon, send him again to Wellington as the representative of this district, and prove that the miners are a sensible, intelligent class, who, alive to their interests, have elected a gentlemen who is a local resident and not an absentee. • An Elector. July 21, 1884. .