The Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 711, 20 July 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1878.

BEFORE the publication of another issue oi the Mail, the Mayoral contest will be decided. Mr. William Jukes Stkwaku will 3 either retain the oitiee of I liter" Magistratt: e of the Town of Onmaru, or give place to Mr. 1 Oeokgb Si-sifter. The period chat will j elapse hetween the nomination of these two candidates for the ot'tice. and the polling a day, will be short. There will not, theretore, be much time to admit of excitement to gather the strength that w .uld otherwise attend the now far from being at a red and v. ill probably proceed a 'stage further he ion tie--1 poll closes «n Mo'iilay next. Of course the " champions of both sides are sanguine of 3 success, as is invariably the ca-e on such r occasions. But, opinions on the upshot of ' the contest are at best as speculative as is a * horse race. Indeed, we are now being ' treated to a Municipal horse race, and as the j contestants near the winning post some people, if not actually, yet mentally bet on r the'black war-, while others pin their faith to the brown horse: but, in the language of ' the old song, our prophetical foreMght only * enables us'to predict that the "foremost ' horse will win." Opposition in Municip 1. as wed as in political matters, is healthful. The hitler t'e chasm that exists betwe- n candidates for honor at the hands of the people the better. The ratepayers may congratulate themselves that the present * Mayoral contest has .-.risen. Ic is much better that what may be termed an outsid-r, who has previously been in harness, ami ran : we'!, should enter thejiehl, than that collit- ' sion s-houhl have full sway, and that, a v.-.i'd: : over should be concerted ana successfully j arranged by a :<\v, without an appeal to the J ' ratepavers. There are many matters that, j ; yhould" be weighed in choosii.g between th.' | two candidate-* for Mayoral honors : but we , have every confidence that the ratepayers j will be equal to the task. i