THE EGMONT SEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 83, 24 August 1912, Page 4

THE EGMONT SEAT.

Aspirants for Parliamentary honor and fame <lo not as a rule care about sacrificing their ambitions and making way for others more suitable and able. But that the unselfish spirit is not a lost virtue among potential politicians was manifested in Eltham the other evening when the Government supporters assembled to deal with the diiliculty presented by there being two Riehmonds of the one color in the field for the Kgmont by-election. Mr. Wilkinson promptly intimated that he was not going to contest the election unless he alone carried the Government standard, and thereupon withdrew his candidature, thus leaving the field clear for Mr. Dive. The latter, however, was chivalrous enough to also withdraw, and to oiler to support Mr. Wilkinson's candidature. The way, which up to then had been beset with what looked like an insurmountable difficulty, so far as the (iovernmeut people were concerned, was accordingly cleared. It is gratifying to notice the public-spirited manner in which both candidates hastened to place in the hands of the Party their individual withdrawals from the contest. It was a graceful and loyal illustration of the

•value of loyalty to party and principle, so different from what lias been recently witnessed in the House. At the moment we are not concerned -with the political aspect of the incident. We have had pecasion to criticise Mr. Dive's political career somewhat forcibly P.t -times, and we are glad of the opportunity of commending him for a graceful and a politic act at a time when his Party most needed such a display of consideration and self-sacrifice of personal ambition.