The Daily News. FRIDAY, APRIL 26. THE TARANAKI SEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 26 April 1907, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, APRIL 26. THE TARANAKI SEAT.

the unhappy circum-tauce thai has left -New i'lymouUi and its district, without a representative in I'urliament makes it 01' course necessary to lill the vacancy. 'Oic lust of ollicc and for i'arliameiuary honor is inherent in human nature, and il frequently, if not invariably, happens that when a public man has to ».' necessarily succeeded in his duties, there are always men who may see in lac support of electors a chance ot worthy advancement. From present indications, h would deem that there will be quite a number of candidates seeking the suffrages of the electors, candidates all of whom no doubt feel iliey have "a call' to die position to which they aspire.

A canjidaie for Parliament should not he known by the word* he speaks so much as by die works tie performs, and o!'i"ii by flic accident of a smooth tongue and a garnish of promises men uniit for the positions they may attain are thrust into them. 'Perhaps the public is cmolionail—unthinking. Jie thiU as it may, theie are many instances wh'iv men iiavc been returned to Parliament b\ overwhelming majorities only to be thrown out ai a succeeding election. The people during the lapse of three yens nave been aide to exercise their discretion. Apart altogether from Party, the man to be chosen fur a place in Parliament should lie closely examined by the people he desires to represent. If politics were indeed the high and noble calling it should be, the people would not he inllneneed by what die member could achieve for his district, hut, by the solid work lie could no for the colony. A politician, or a budding politician, is to be judged by the principles lie follows, and not-by the principles he may say at the meetings he is going to follow. i''or that reason pre-election addresses are frequently worth absolutely nothing to the people. The people know the candidates, and are aide to judge, if they use the thinking powers Providence has blci-sed Ihem with, whether a man is a rcputablo, # upright. and honorable man in Lis private life or in business.

The man who is a straight-goer at heart in his daily private dealings may no made crooked by the influence of '"cateli-as-catch-can" polities—but it isn't likely. The man who has always looked upon Number One as the only one worth looking after will not make a good representative because no says so at the hustings. Promises are ea-ily mad.'; performances are more didienlt. The only way to guage the value of a promise is by remembering whether a man has kepi former promises. A candidate's promise is often enough not worth a moment's belief, bceatis' the candidate cannot be sure of his ability to keep it. We know, and everybody knows, that in New Zealand as elsewhere many politicians have been given the privilege of entering Parliamen. not because they were tit to do so, but because private and more worthy met) would not become candidates. Many private men, either because of a natural modesty or because of the probable association with men with whom they would have little in common and jfor whom they would not cherish any great regard, have withheld front politics.

Matters of moment, current topics, probable legislation, may form the basis of promises of those who seek elect ion for the Taranaki seal. It is to be rememlbercd, however, that any pronii-cd advocacy of any Bill or any threatened opposition to any Bill to come before Parliament, does not necessarily give, a man any right to the confidence or support of the electors. The influence of any one man out of politics but who desires to get there, is not going, for instance, to kill the Land Bill, nor is it going to put it through. Of course, the political creeds and convictions of the candidates must count with, electors, who should have no difficulty in arriving at an analysis, extracting the gold from the sand, and measuring the quantity of gold accurately. There is one thing we would require of a representative, and that is that lie should have no axe to grind. We put principles before Party. We think that honesty- and character come first always. We woiild ask of a candidate, is he honest? Is he intelligent and is he likely to become an ellicient representative? Ami to the electors we would say, has he a selfish reason for trying to g-t into-lhe House? Is his desire to become a member of the House prompted by over-weening vanity or an exaggerated opinion of his own qualifications? Would he, in your opinion, supposing he is not honest or capable now. become honest and capable in the House? Is politics to be a game of grab or is it to be improved by die entrance into politics of men who do not care for political expediency and who desire only to work for the, betterment of their fellows, the amelioration of present conditions, and the securing of the greatest measure of purity in public affairs?