OUR CANDIDATES.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 301, 4 December 1874, Page 3

OUR CANDIDATES.

(To, the Editor o/Jhe Mount Ida Chroniom;.) Sib,—The '.Southern.Mercury' of Friday last says that Mr. Leary, when he stood for Cavershain, Was beaten by the Provincial Solicitor by a very small majority. . Now, that is true; but it is not the whole truth, nor the half of it, either.

: ' In the interests of the electors of Mount Ida'l, therefore,' crave; a'small portion. of your space to state the simple facts of the casci. Mr. Leary twice contested the seat for 'Caversham, and was twice defeated. On' the first occasion there Were three candidates—namely, Mr. Stout, Mr. Fish, and; Mr. Leary. Mr. Leary had the honor of coming in a long way last. On the second (the last general election) Mr. Leary stood under the following peculiar circumstances : Mr. Macandrew's Committee having secured his return as Super-, intendent, resolved to do all in thoir power to oust Mr. Stout; and; remained organised for that purpose. They , cast their eyes around them for a suitable tool, and found one in Mr. Leary. The result was that; Mr. Stout was' triumphantly returned ; one reason being that many of MrJ Leary's former friends voted against him—being disgusted at his meanness in becoming a "cat's paw" to a party who put him forward, not that they loved him, but because they hated Stout. Nor was that all; for, at the declaration of the poll, > Mr. Leary told his Committee that, if they had wrought as hard for him as Mr. Stout's Committee had for that gentleman, he (Mr. Leary) would have been returned. Thus he paid them back, as they deserved, by ingratitude. But perhaps some one will say, "Where is the. proof that Mr. Leary played so mean a part ? Here it is, and the best of all possible proof—namely, his own statement, when placed in the witness box, when he succeeded in swerving himself clear of a pal try sum contracted in connection with the election. I quote from the supple-, ment 'Otago Daily* Times,' Saturday, 1 , September 13, *1873 :—"'JR. H. Leary stated.that,. some three or four, weeks previousf to'the Cavershamelection, a prominent jrileniber of the Macandrew Committee called upon him, and requested him to contest that election. . Witness said, he', would not stand, as he had already spent a, groat denl '6f money upon that constituency, and could not afford to spend any

more. The member of the Committee then said, ' Oh, we have got plenty of money, and we will see you through.' Witness agreed to contest the election; and it was arranged that his expenses should not be more than £4O. The Caversham election was made a great feature by the Committee ; but it resulted in witness -having to, pay something like £llO, which was the amount he had himself order< d. Certain other accounts came in that he had not authorised, and, among them, the one claimed in this action. He distinctly refused to pay the amount, on the ground that lie had not authorised it, and as it was the business of the Committee to pay whatever it had ordered through its agent (Forster). He had made up his mind that, as the Committee had sold him in the matter of expenses, he would see that they paid those expenses they.had ordered themselves." Now this is the gentleman who calls himself independent, and says that he is untrammeled by party. . In,one ".ense he is, as he has proved himself ready to serve any party that may require an unscrupulous politician. _ ~ . , No, no, Mr. Leary! we don't want you. We know but little of you, and that little is enough. You will not find Mount Ida a comfortable nest, nor the electors here simple little chickens : we are too "leary--" for that. Have patience, man, and perhaps, when Caversham can find no other one to represent it, you may have a chance of becoming—what your heart dearly desires—a member of the Provincial Council of Otago.—l am, &c., An Elector. ■ ———- MOUNT IDA ELECTION. (To the Editor of the Mount IdaChbonioee.) Sir,; —I have too"much reliance on the good sense of the'electors to suppose they will be influenced by the electioneering squibs fired off by your anonymous correspondents in last week's ' Chronicle.', I would suggest the advisability of enlightening the electors upon the merits of their favorite candidate instead of evoking untruthful insinuations, and speaking in disparaging terms of myself. Possibly they act on the principle—"No case;* abuse the other side."—-I am, &c., , - . . Richard H. Leary. Nov. 30/1874 ' , -