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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 987, 15 October 1881, Page 2

Captain Porter’s explanation to the electors of the Rast Coast in reference to his reported retirement, will be found in another column. Of course, during election times candidates must and do expect, and are prepared for, a certain amount of fair and unfair play; but it-is wise not to let the unfairness go to too great a length. One of the chief, and, sometimes, the moA successful, .ruses is

that of industriously circulating a report reflecting on the candidature of the man one wishes to retire. It is held by some pseudo political savants that there are too many candidates already in the field, and that if Captain Porter and Mr. Locke hold steadfast to their pledge, Mr. McDonald must pull off the honors. They do not make even “ brief mention ” of Mr. AVilson, nor do they (perhaps from not knowing of his intention) give Mr. Gannon place on the political stage. We do not propose at this point, to set one candidate against another, but it is impolitic, as well as unfair to make selection from thecandidates until they shall have fully complied with the requirements of their position. And if this is so, it is also undesirable to do an opponent an underhanded injustice, by spreading reports as to intentions which he has not given expression to himself. We have heard it freely stated, and we believe the “yarn ” has received considerable currency in both town and country, that either Mr. Locke or Captain Porter will resign, with a view of narrowing the contest to as fine a point as possible. But whatever grounds there may have been for that statement, they are now set aside by the emphatic denial of Captain Porter which we publish this morning. That gentleman says that his reported retirement is a political canard, circulated for the purpose of damaging him in his election. There is no doubt of that ; and, it is quite possible that Mr. Locke will be found following up Captain Porter with a similar denial. From enquiries we have made, there appears to be not only no doubt as to the bona fides of each of the candidates ; but no reasonable excuse for their insincerity. Each is standing on his own ground, and will fight the matter out to the end upon his individual merits. This is the opinion we have formed, and we see no just cause for imputing any motives to either of them unworthy of the cause in which they are embarked. This much we may. say of Captain Porter (and would say the same of the others if they place themselves in our confidence) that he has permitted the writer to, the correspondence between himself and the Government, which most unmistakably places his resignation in the hands of the latter from the end of the current month, and with the express object of contesting the vacant seat. Being satisfied of this it would be well to let matters take their course, for the retirement of either of the present contestants is an event not to be looked for.