WHOM SHALL WE CHOOSE?

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 303, 18 December 1874, Page 3

WHOM SHALL WE CHOOSE?

(To the Editor of the Mount Ida CnßONicrE.) Siß, —We have now before us the electioneering effusions of each of the candidates for our suffrages, and are, therefore, in a position to judge which of the three are most deserving of our support, and most likely to satisfactorily represent us. With your permission I will briefly review the principal points of their several addresses. Tj begin with Mr. Ewing, he is by no means an orator; fortunately eloquence is not an indispensable qualification in a representative, or, from my own knowledge of the present Council, there would be not more than one-tenth at most who would pass muster. There was about Mr. Ewing's remarks that which is far more important—a sincerity of purpose, an honesty of intention, and a thorough appreciation of our grievances and requirements, which certainly should go far to recommend him to our support. There is much in his mannor and style as a public speaker —arising, no doubt, from want of practice and experience—which would doubtless wear off, and, if it did not, it offers no reasonable bar. to his usefulness as a member.

Notwithstanding Mr. Leary's sophistry Ewing is a local man, and, as such, should bare our cordial support. No question can arise in which his interest will bo at variance with ours. I would, did space permit, say a good deal more of Mr. Ewing, but must pass on to my next, Mr. Leary. He is what may be termed a ready talker ; he has, no doubt seen a doal of men and things, and is gifted in suiting his opinions and remarks to his audience. To one who did not know the contrary he would seem to have no other object or desire than to carry out the wishes of the miners of Mount Ida; whereas, as could easily be gathered from his remarks, he only wishes to make use of them as a stepping stone to extend his business and influence. He expressed a feeling of pride at the position he occupied in a late election. I sincerely hope he will have similar cause, fit the close of the present election, to fed protid. He is a patriot is Mr. Leary, for he abandoned mining as a pursuit because he would not contribute to that pernicious tax the Gold Export Duty, and now he goes in for its repeal in such a way as ho well knows will defeat his professed object. The tolls he would abolish are better as they are—confined to that portion of the road where the bulk

of the money spent on roads is expended —and I am mistaken if the carters would not willingly pay more tolls if the roads through to the Goldfields were kept in equally good repair. The addition, consequent on payment of tolls to the rate of carriage is too small to be of any moment. Mr. Leary tried to make us believe that he is as mach a local man as Mr. Ewing. This was specially for Naseby ; a St. Bathanite, by his argument, is not a resident in the district of Mount Ida. He will use some other piece of sophistry on Friday when addressing Mr. E wing's personal friends. Mr. Leary'3 plausible sophistries and platitudes seemed to tell on a few, though the more intelligent of his hearers (I ascertained from remarks made by them as they came out of the hall) had not been caught by the chaff, though there was a grain or two of corn among it. He has, beyond a doubt, one strong recommendation to our support —his thorough knowledge of logrolling and buttonholing, which would be highly advantageous if we want a £SO vote for roads, &c; but, to say that he would support Mount Ida interests if they should (as they are very likely to do) clash with his personal interests, is taking us to be very verdant and gullible; indeed, Mr. Armstrong's principal recommendation to the genearl body of electors is that he did no harm. He may be said to be negatively good, though he did try to use his position as an M.P.C. to secure a sop in the contract for the sludge channel. Mr. Leary calls him an automaton, and on this point lam not prepared to disagree with him. John has some supporters here I find, and he is making a free use of lithography to increase and confirm them —the recipients feeling honored at what they view as an act of attention (flavored as it is with, just a spice of flattery) on his part, in writing, as many of them believe, with his own hand, to ask their support and influence. He is withal very cunning, for though he recommends the electors to support a suitable local man in preference to a stranger (say Mr. Leary) he points out that he does not como under that title, as he has already served us (?), and his political opinions have not altered—not even advanced with the time. My letter being already too long I will wind up —abrupt as is my conclusion —by saying to the electors be true to yourselves and follow the advice so strongly given in the ' Chronicle,' and elect a local man, one who has a stake in the district, and whose interests are indivisible with yours. Again, sir, I sign myself An Electob. .