TOUCHING MUTUAL CONFIDENCE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 377, 2 June 1876, Page 3

TOUCHING MUTUAL CONFIDENCE.

Innocence is individually our forte, omniscience is editorially our| only foible. "What, therefore, can be more admirable to us non-editorially than this :-r-" As a parliamentary representative, and on the magisterial bench, Mr. Pyke most decidedly excels, and his disinterested maimer ?of dealing with the question" at issue have invariably given satisfaction oven to those who were opposed to him ; andjfwben we come to consider that the public have so much confidence in the judgment of his findings, there is little room to doubt that we may confide the representation of the district in his hands with the utmost safety." In the same article, and following upon the literary extract above quoted, there follows a proper and highly virtuous and cosmopolitan denunciation of Provincialism, because of an important misunderstanding which disastrously delayed the construction of approaches to Clyde bridge, causing four months' loss of interest to the Council, and also of " what revenue might be derived from the bridge." Of course any dullard, knows that immediately the bridge, is .complete the moneylender in this special case ceases to ask for interest. Our limited- space only precludes us from coding to the 'support of our contemporary of the Bunstan. Fortunately he can, from a long experience, stand alone m rectitude, defying the world. ,B.ut for Mr. Pyke, and his relation politically to his district: Is this delightfully encouraging confidence justified ? Mr. Pylce himself thinks it is not. "We hope he is wrong. Let us look a little.more curiously into the proceedings, as recorded, of the Clyde, league protection meeting. The meeting was not called by Mr. Pyke to discuss Insular Reparation, Abolition, Magisterial -appointments, Comtnissionerships, or any other st;ile botheration of the kind long out of date, but to form a'Protection League to watch over the interests of the Clyde district, and to communicate with their representative in Parliament, and to be communicated with. Now, if Mr. Pyke's decisions and excellencies satisfy even those who are opposed to him, why should he be watched when in Wel- • iington ? "Why should he alwayo be wanted, and >the potent hand of the Clyde leaguers be always on his shoulder, audibly restraining his errant enthusiasm with —"Pyke, you're wanted ?" Stranger still, Mr. Pyke, like "the kleptomaniac, asks that he shall be watched, and even cries —" Hould me! hould me! lest I hit ye!" More wonderful still, everywhere he is taken .at his word. At Clyde, Alexandra, ■ Blacks,and even at sympathising Croir.'wrill, Protection leagues have sprung .up in a night like the prophet's gourd. Let us. not misrepresent Mr. Pyke. He said—''He held that the only way. the pebpie have of getting their interests properly or thorough/ looked after, was by the formation of associations such:as he had and if ; it were not acted upon the fault would not be his." He next told the human germs —so soon to be by true evolutionary process converted into leaguers, or, more properly speaking, Representative detectives—that "He would not support any Government or party that would attempt to, perpetrate such a swindle as had been attempted lately to selhthe large blocks of land." Mr. Pyke must take refuge-in the Cave of Adullara, with Wakalipu's Member, to play man Friday to Dunstan's Crusoe, for of course he of Dunstan cannot support' Mr.- Macandrew in the face of the statement above quoted, aud he certainly cannot support Sir Julius Vogel, for, as Premier, he states in his last letter to the Superintendent—"lf your Honor will only give proper notice the Government have no objection to -the'land in question' being sold';-■ indeed, they are quite at a loss to understand why the lands have been given back to the runholders instead of the latter being compensated, and the land properly submitted for sale." Certainly there is no indication here of a family political bosom substantially honest enough for refuge, upon which the political cuckoo of lJunstan can lay his weary head before tuning forth in dulcet notes the national song ever bursting fro in his throat of Patriotism to the death.

Mr. Pyke has hitherto on the platform or in the tribune on two question of vital import to the Otago Goldfields been heroically consistent :—the aboli tion of "the Gold Duty and the Land question. Ho has indeed pone so £ar as to advocate vigorously the State 'leasing theory. Now, all of a sudden his note is changed. " The Gold Duty question, my children, I leave to you. Whatever you decide is douo. As for the Land question leasing is the dream of theorists. I go for free selection, which lias so happily peopled Canterbury with small of tho beat class.".. No doubt Mr. Pyke is right, and the ' Times ' is right. " His disinterested manner of dealing with the questions at.tissue " haa at all times even to tthpse who differed with him—the Wellington Policemen,' .the;late., Member ipr Eden,, or the., political eawyei'. of !Kaw^au lv 'fQr mstarie'e, that we are quite sure_ the_'_Puns tan Timei.' is. '■right. ,'The district of, D-unstau may. ' confide its representation to his hands with the utmost safety ; and when he returns to the Leaguors—as return he will, who ,dare. ,doubt it—cannot he say—-"'Well, my children, you plitin that your LnndEevenuo is gorio; ycju elected to givo.ir up. I thought otherwise. The act Is your own ; you made a mistake, —greatest mistake of

all When you elected trie. May you be happier in your next choice. The consolicg shades of tho Civil Service are thickening fast; around ine.y?arevrell."

Mr. Pyke,|we'are".sar6, can do 'better work thanpie did lately at Clyde and Cromwell.' "The Goldminers of Ofcago are not now in a humor to be trifled with. They trust much, very much j they never forgive.