The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1916. AUSTRALIAN BY-ELECTION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 8, 11 January 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1916. AUSTRALIAN BY-ELECTION.

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post and Waimarino News.)

The personal element in politics as well as in most other avenues of life has again demonstrated that it is as much to be considered as either principle or policy. In the by-election for Wild Bay, Mr. Andrew Fisher's late constituency in Queensland, labour has gone down before the popularity of the liberal candidate, and this in spite of the fact that no more strenuous fight to keep Wild Bay for Jabour wa p ever made.\ Popular, cap-„-i.-,~ a»<3t- in a power in Aus-

tralian politics because he is a gentleman first and 'a politician, or rather a Statesman, afterwards. It is such jmen that it is difficult to follow; he is no gilded specimen, as the whole world, as well as labour, now knows. We have reached a stage in social and political development when the gilded spurious article cannot pass for the real thing; as the gilt rubs off the vile counterfeit, the fictitious, forces itself by,,its very nature upon public notice and ignorantly discovers itself. Of such are many (aspirants for public life, popularity, and even parliamentary honours. How often do wo see the back of the public turned on men in all political schools, tory, reform, liberal, labour 'and also amongst socialists. For years the schcolinafster has been abroad, the "people's conscience as Avell as their intelligence has been educated and refined to a degree when no blustering, uncouth ignoramus be a man possessed of millions of money, can secure a popular verdict at parliamentary' elections. The man the people Want, they have time and again unmistakably indicated, is he with a clean, honourable, intelligent "streak" in him; big money is a very secondary consideration. Andrew Fisher filled the popular demand in all these respects, but even he, with 'all his stumpings, cculd not persuade the electors who had returned him with overwhelming majorities, to cast his mantle on a less acceptable member of the labour party; and a constituency that elected him by 'a majority of over seven thousand votes has now shifted it s confidence on to a liberal. Mr. Fisher is the strong man of Australia, neither millions of money, sheep, cattle, or coalmines could shake hi s hold on the public confidence. Although invested with huge power the same gentlemanly instincts were as observable in the Premier of the Commonwealth as in the plain Andy Fisher; he was never despotic, arbitrary or tyrannical, but always exhibited that natural concern for the feelings of others that is the hallmark and the true ring of the genuine article. He has accepted, at the wish of his country, the position of it s representative in the headquarters of the Empire at a time of severe trial such as was never before experienced ; the complexity of the situation being such as to almost strike fear into any but these strong men of the Empire who have proved themselves leaders among leaders. Mr. Fisher will prove a loss to his party in Australia, but he is filling a much more important mission, undoubtedly, at' the desire of the authorities in the Homeland. That the labour party has met with a set-back in his old constituency is not so much a matter of policy, 'and the nature of the laws the Labour Government has put upon the Statute Book, as the personal element. Wilde Bay's late representative was a strong man, and yet riot so strong as to ever cause hinTto forget for a moment the consideration due to the opinions and feelings of others. Andrew Fisher is a patriot, whose name will go down into futurity with highest honours, while the man who has replaced him, in his late Queensland constituency, may never soar into public popularity any higher than a mere ephemeral stage. Be that as it may, the new member, Mr. Carser, owes his election more to his personal attributes than to any plank, or cumulation of planks in his liberal policy. His popularity i s due to the attitude his natural leanings have impelled him to take towards his-fellows in his public life and experiences, 'and from what may be read of Mr. Carser he will prove an active, bold and scrupulous member of the Commonwealth Parliament.