The Southland Times. MONDAY, AUG-UST 12, 1867.

Southland Times, Issue 708, 12 August 1867, Page 2

The Southland Times. MONDAY, AUG-UST 12, 1867.

Tfle result of the elections, as far as they have gone, is most satisfactory. Already live out of the twenty members required to constitute the .Council have been elected, and four out of the number are firm Eailway advocates, and the fifth has pledged himself to support the North Line, although opposed to that to the Mataura. The Eiverton Election is the greatest triumph that the progressive ' party could have desired. This district was looked upon as the least likely of all to elect a member favorable to the Eailway project, yet it has returned Dr HoDGKiirsoN, who at the last session, supported the Eailway resolutions with earnestness and ability. Mr Daniels cannot be termed an anti-railway man. He is not; it is true, at present, in favor of the construction of the East Line, having an idea of his own, that by the continuation of the North Line to the Otago boundary, all the requirements of the Province would be met. "We are disposed to view Mr Daniel's theory as visionary, and think that when the question has been thoroughly ventilated, he will not be absent from the ranks of the progressionists. We think that the result of the four elections that have taken place is a fair expression of public opinion, and should teach both the obstructionists and their amiable confederates, Messrs LuMSDEJf & Co. that their deep laid plans have been frustrated. It is a fact that at every election that has taken place the Railways has been the question of questions, and resulted, in nearly every instance in the return of untried men who adopted " Railways" as the pivot of their creed. The elections in the country districts that are yet to come off, it is not likely will materially change the complexion of affairs. Wherever Eailway candidates have pre- ; sented themselves they have been well : received, and assured of support, i while the opposing parties have been \ defeated in every place where they have put iv an appearance. Most of the country districts may be considered safe. The tug of war has yet to come. Upon the result of the elections for Invercargili and "Waihopai mainly depends the result. The six members to be elected for these districts will have a powerful influence on the decisions of the Council, j _If they 'are men of progress, even supposing that some of the remaining districts returned anti-progressionists, the Eailway construction party will predominate. Eor the "Waihopai there are four candidates said to be now in the field, viz. : — Messrs Blacklock, C. E. Marten-, T. M. Clerke, and P. Daletmple. It is scarcely necessary to state that the two first mentioned candidates are essentially Eailway men, and of the latter tw o, one is an opponent of railways, and the other has foggy views of an undefinable description upon this question. With reference to Mr Blackloce: we need say but little. He has been long before the public as a leading man, and laterally the political target at which have been I aimed the arrows of the discontented

and ambitious. Having met his constituents and given a full exposition of his past actions it would be a work of superorogation for us to canvess his claims. His credentials have been fairly placed before the electors, and they have declared them legitimate. He is a strong supporter of the railway project. Mr C. R. Mas/ten is not unknown to the public, having on a previous occasion been a candidate for the representation of Riverton in the Greneral Assembly. He is a liberal, thoughtful, and painstaking observer of political events, an advocate of progress, and the railway scheme especially, as the means best adapted to lift the province from its present depresssed position. Mr T. M. Clerke is too well known to require comment. The action he took during | the last session of the Council is still fresh in the memory of all. It proved that vanity overbalanced judgment. Having taken a prominent positionin the ranks of the railway advocates in the first instance, he subsequently permitted himself to be made the tool of the opponents of the measure. With the docility of a lamb, he received the precious morsel, offered by the pastoral shepherd, deserted his principles, and jeopardised the railway project for no other object than gaining office. The candidature of Mb. P. Dalrymple may be slightly passed over. A rabid anti-progress declamor, combined with great self-assurance, has sufficed to make him known as a small village agitator, who, fortified with a well thumbed ancient edition of Adam Smith's Political Economy, has for sometime past amused the people of the East District, t by his bombastic out-pourings and selfassumed utterances. He is a violent partizan, a determined opponent of Railways, and possesses no qualifications for the honor that he seeks. The electors of Waihopai will, we doubt, not see the . desirability of rejecting Messrs. T. M. Clerke and P. Dalryatp.le. The town election is not difficult to forecast, inasmuch as some of the candidates mentioned are known to be antirailway men in the proper sense. The Lumsden party have named their four men, and if we do not mistake the tone and temper of the electors this party will find that should they determine to go to the poll, nothing will save them from th.it decided defeat which their crabbed notions and unbounded assurance entitles them to expect. We counsel the electors to refrain from pledging themselves to anyone until the candidates are all publicly announced. There will be four true liberal candidates brought forward. Ltjmsde^ and Co., and Retrogression must be defeated. To this end, all who seek the permanent prosperity of the country should work. _ t i