MR. WALTER WOODS JOHNSTON.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 72, 6 September 1879, Page 2

MR. WALTER WOODS JOHNSTON.

Too mnch stress, cannot he Mid upon the electors o E this . district oUoq sing a local representative. The virtue of .Bepresentative (government, m jNew JZealaiid is mainly manifest m local rerpreseiijfcation. The Hpnse M Pepresei|.;tatives has been aptjy described as", an iariena where'the iaicjney.of', the State is scrambled f or ; '■■" thujS theiruits -of the -pontest iall to • the strbfigy^^n Jill; .struggles^ of -*this character, iielf^-interest ; isj^he main incentive to: obtain success. ;^When a^ -'xaaii^ feels' his jaterestg are bound up vrith'tlie acquisition pf that which ■ Ue^ seeks ;tp obtain, .his exertions will he cpnimensurate, as a ■'rulej witlj the good he hopes to achieve. Failing this motive for energy his action ; will resemble that of . !ft|r. 7T Walteb VTo^nstoiTi or Gjjumo-r tf oaring , for none qf these things." Besides, However, ■^this;l^ok of iffifttive^whickia. non-resident 'jßep^qpe.ntatiye must feel, ; fif labprs [ uiioje^ the disadvantage pf ;^eipg;igno-' r^nt erE what his epnstituents want ? and ■ tli\js, faifs m possessing the main qtia'lia representa.tdve. i .^heppject of a, non-resident represerititiye m entering political life oah only 'be self 5 the loqai man may have! tnV game' aim, but difEers\ m :ihis respeot from; the.slranger^th^at ?he cannot benefit himse]f without the community amo« v g w;hicb he dwells participating m suck advantages as he obtains m a greater or less degree. ,^elf -interest being the mjrin leyer d£ life, \t bjehoves us m political, as well as m the transaction or commercial?a|^lr^ l b.eed unto: its teachinei ean4 O£'coiirsei^e Have all heard p|. p^trio^ism, the public spirit'of -publio men; the uni selfish aims of statesmer|,a,nd 5 v.ariety" of analogou^;ide*as, ; eipMssed j^ equally ambiguous language.. Favf of us, rJiQWever, but have outHved the give qredence to snch illusions,' content to loo^f on such chimeras with a' mercantile eye. In thi? manner .also the non.resident representative looks u,pon 'the elector vrhom he seeks to beguile. It isa mercantile commodity, offering to him either profit or renp^n'. In this aspect tlie Manawatu: electors appear, tq /Mr. 'WApTEE >TohV*Ston, and m no other.- He .never lias given the .electorate anything, even his influence, j and m all probability never will, should -he he again returned as our .representa.tive. "soid like* of ability a,ndfauie, he, has f urlher had' the. misfortune to -be associated with a cprrupt and evil class of .public menmen Who regard the body politic m the sarqe ''manner as'^ the 'vultui'e does ! the carcaßs-.r; Still, sfucther.. to, increase; bis; , calamity? he, has taken uiiito-himseif Sir jFox'as a leader, wHo seems ambitious to play tKe san^e role m the liower Chamber, which has been adopted by Sir .Fbancis I^ri,^pN ,; ije^i, ir* IVthe PperV"^.e;^^t'ofine:plc|iit!j it4-panta-lboh./ That the'onejpases and the other raiW ; makeß no, di|^rerice jp the cbar^cter/of the p?»fofmahce. Ip p^rty V^rf ftre as lit scetteg pf. sterner strife,; ti^ere are not' only the ordinary ruck of. tlie" 'rank and^ .^ley- Jbut' Jeamp 1 folio vreVsi"/ ! Mr. S.disNsTON is "a camp fqllower," and notlring more; he follows pie leader he has chosen, td 6ee what' he.oan 1 pick up for himself, linUeeding the'Viints of bis oon»tituency,' and those wno vote for hini' will jußt Be equally as unrepresented as if theY voted for Mv.i±xi,oombe, wlio is 'disqualified. ' ■- *-- > .■■•■■: ■■■-:■ i ■■■■ .-.-t'-.i. . ■