THE MANAWATU HERALD. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1878. THE COUNTY ELECTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 23, 12 November 1878, Page 2

THE MANAWATU HERALD. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1878. THE COUNTY ELECTION.

To-jioerow, the electors of Manawatu are to choose their representatives for the County Council. Owing to the decease of Provincialism, the County Councils, which supply to some extent their place, me exalted to a position next to the House of Representatives, and the body to be elected to-morrow is required to administer the government orer the large tract of country stretching from Kiwitea to the Paikakariki Range, and embracing a population of about 5000 people. This number will probably be largely increased by the time the Council expires. The functions of the County Council are not legislative. They make no laws, but merely administer the Government, and spend moneys received either from 20 per cent of land levenue, licenses, rates, or subsidies. Under these circumstances, we cannot help remarking that so far at least as the Awahou Riding is concerned, the present election has been fought on one side entirely as if it were a Local Board election, and many of the electors have been beguiled by unscrupulous touters into the idea that the most important subject that would be considered by the Council would be the making of a drain along the Avenue, or the metalling of a few chains of road upon the Tramway. Mit Loudon publicly appealed to the electors of Awahou to reject Mil Tiiynxe because ho was clerk to the Foxton Local Board, and that body had mismanaged the affairs of the town ! He endeavored to show that Mr Thykne was not lit to be entrusted with the representation of the Riding because his firm had, as draughtsmen, earned £25 from the Sandon Kail way Committee, in drawing up plans required by law ! Were not the election so serious a matter, it would be positively amusing to contemplate the childish manner in which Mr LoUDoy has acted throughout the whole piece. Wo defy any intelligent man to analyse his two reported speeches, and find anything in them but what Hamlet found in the letter, „" Words, words, words." Thought, political economy, a knowledge of the Counties Act, or anything else requisite to sustain the credit of the Eiding, and make a politician of even the feeblest type, are qualities Mb Loudon will never possess. The scathing denunciation of him, written not many months ago, and which is well remembered by the residents of Manawatu, was, we believe, the honest opinion of our Palmerston eontemporary,andrtlthough he has now taken Mr Loudon under his wing, and holds him up as a can* didate in every way desirable, yet every statement he made at that time, is known to be true; whilst recent events have beclonded Mr Loudon's reputation, and shown him to be destitute ot other things besides education and political ability. Mr Loudon has been made a martyr of. This is amusing. We regard the Awahou electors as too sensible to be led away by such claptrap, listen, ye people of New Zealand ! The way to become a martyr is as follows : — First, perform an act of dishonour from the thought of performing which a heathen would turn with contempt; dare it out for 28 days, and tell lie upon lie to bide it ; then three days after you are proved guilty, lie down in the mud and blacken yourself with the meanest names in, the language ; and then after this "baptism of repentance," rise and claim the martyr's crown ! The ide* is bo preposterously ridiculous, that no one wilh one spark of heathen honesty would look at it ; whilst that

pure and spotless Christianity which Loudon has with unholy hands dragged into -his controversy, shrouds herself from view at her name being so befouled.

Mr Loudon may get in. With that we have nothing to do. Cm 1 duty has bei-n done. lls supposed the Herald was open to bribery, and thought his paltry account would bribe our conscience, and prevent our advising him to retire. We care little for the statements that have been made to the effect that this journal has been bought by a " clique." We will give those who dare to say so an opportunity in the witness-box, on oath, to verify their mean attempts to injure the business relations of the proprietors. But upon other grounds we have fought this contest, even those sacred obligations imposed upon us to state the whole truth. Three candidates suitable for the position of councillor, are before the electors tomorrow. There is Mr Tiiynne, an old, well tried, and faithful servant ; there is Mr Dawbon, who comes forward to solicit the suffrages of the people — a man of sense, lew words, good ideas, thoroughly independent, and deeply interested in the piogress of the Hiding; and Mr Kockstbow, whose public character and experience, althouglmot brilliant, are certainly free from anything base or ignoble. If Mr Dawsox is not returned, we hope Mr Rockstkotv will be second on the list, as the other members would, we be* ieve, work well with him.' It would not at present be for the best interests of the Biding to ietmn the fourth candidate.