THE Mount Ida Chronicle. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1875.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 351, 26 November 1875, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1875.

If the supporters of the Government policy in Otago were really jealous for the good of their Province they would consider the necessity of Otago protecting herself by a united representation." It is notorious they'db ; nbt do so. ; Their views are too.brpad for such a consideration. -To themhOtagb is' but; a sbuud. The* only "watchword they own_' is :C '' ■' --lieiiOtago perish, so that the Colony asia; whole may float for a- time, if only a d eapr ted-wreck upon; the broken, waters { of time. That portion of the Prpvinr cial Press who are supporting Ministers "are; unreasonably , unpatriotic in this respect The conductorsi" of"'such papers as the ' Guardian^'andits weekly edition, must knoW thkt it is impossible for[a majority of the- Otago represent- 7 tatives to be" returnea'■ supporting the Government/of"the :dayr::r::Tetit:withthat knowledge, Otago is to ;i be lashed if possible into the position of a house j divided against;itself.i If the dread 'of ; ; the aggressive tendencies of tho Nor-»; dbhern. statesmen,: which is always being Nourished: ;.tbe; constituencies,; has a true foundation;, where would be pur defences if; the one half of our garrison were to be found at tbe insti-. gatibn'bf the.' Star,'?. and ':G in 'the enemy's camp?: ■• v ■>; i Otago constituencies are not now what they were a few years ago. Men now are for the most part settled, and the real wants of the people are apparent to eachot them—branded indeed on their ow'n~ persons. Electioneering palaver, that passed as sterling coin five' years ago, is now weighed at its true price. On the Gf-oldfields at the present day candidates will need ,to give a little more assurance of their ability to represent a great interest, tlmnacapability to shout, play leap frog the day before the poll," or, it may be, a game at euchre in. the tent of "my friend the horny-handed miner." Promises, too, do not go for much; and have been proved false too often to now deceive the least wary. Yet electioneering ability is so often quoted as the prominent appendage of some Government candidate that we are almost justified in anticipating it will prove the sole political capital of them all. There can be no doubt but that tbe Opposition will carry fifteen at least of the Otago spats. It is sheer treachery to Otago to endeavor to weaken the influence the majority must'have. It, would be a different thing altogether if the majority were about to introduce damaging innovations. In such a case it might be patriotic to neutralise their efforts. All they wish is to be let alone ; or, if they are not let alone, to be allowed to use their own brains to mako the best of a disturbance which was none of their seeking. We fancy we have seen the unity of Otago insisted on before now by the 'Evening Star' and the 'Guardian.' Ii is curious that the very opposite is now being advocated without apology, and with every appearance of tho most intense self satisfaction.