The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1880.

Temuka Leader, Issue 329, 14 December 1880, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1880.

There is an old saying—“ He that give* with the sword, will get with the scabbard.’’ Never was this more clearly demonstrated than at the member for Geraldine’s meeting, in the Volunteer Hall, on Saturday night. Since Mr Wakefield was elected 'member for this district, be has apparently attempted to ignore the party w.h'p opposed his election, and on the oeasion i.f bis return, when he successfully contested the seat with Mr Feld wick, he copld not resist gratifying his spiteful feeling by calling the Opposition a Temuka clique. Now it will, be remembered that it was only through the support rendered by the Christchurch electors'that he made any show of a majority at all. To call •that Opposition a cliqiie was a gross insult 1

to tliis constituency, and his,little fll’ig on Saturday night when lie Maid it-was only the Opposition—a very small party —woo had not yet got over their disappointment. Thin, after the gross neglect of the interests of his constituents, was only adding insult tp insult. There were some of the electors in the Temuka district, who set Mr Wake ; field down fn thnr minds a from the first, apd these have never had cause to alter their opinion. There were others, however, who changed fheiy love into ha to, and visa versa, just as he managed to humour or flatter them. One geotleupiu wept as far as to pub.licly call him a d d spqundref, but who a short time further on, after he hud got a good spapjng oyer, ran like a race liorse hither and thither, saving neither time nor. money, to insure his return. Can Mr Wakefield be blamed then if be entertained the opinion that Temuka needed only a little soft soaping again, ancf all would go smoothly as before. Saturday night, therefore, wifi teach him a salutary lesson. We condemn the course adopted by the people on Saturday. W e b ave n 0 sympathy with these rowdy demons (rations. We do not think, however, that there was any organised party put forward by Mr Wakefield’s opponents,; in fact we are sure the party who opposed him from the fjrst as p gentleman totally unstated for the Geraldine constituency, had nothing whatever to do with i(. If there was any prearranged plan at all, it sprangfrem thus who were for sometime blinded by his sophistry, and from some who were formerly his wannest friends. The demonstration on Saturday night will, we trust, show the member for Geraldine that lie is not to ride rough shod over the. working men in this district. His shameful neglect of any appeal from them for attention to their interests, or the interests of this district, up to the very last moment, even when they did not know where to turn to obtain another day’s food for themselves and their children could not be forgotten by them; and from this source, in our opinion, sprang chiefly the opposition to his delivering his speech. When one calls for bread, to be offered a stone is most tantalising. One thing came out very plainly at the meeting and it is this that the member for Geraldine lias ah ill-balanced mind, and is devoid of sound judgment, or he would never have persevered in his attempts to address a meeting, the temper of which was plainly a firoy opposition. Temuka will be doubtless cried down as a rowdy place. We have seen such scenes, even ten times more uproarious, in Christchurch and Dunedin. Even the great Vogel tried for three hours to obtain a hearing from an assembly of over 1500 people in Dunedin, but failed. His sound judgment, however, led him to seek a now constituency when he could consistently advo cate the claims of the electors. In our opinion this would be the best course for Mr Wakefield. We have all along been ' of opinion that I.e has only made a cat’s =paw of the Geraldine electorate to help him into power, and did not cars one straw for the welfare of the people. This opinion we hold still, and consequently lepeat he is not the man foi us. As regards the member’s abilities we have ever given him credit for more than he apparently pos sesses. We now think that he has reached the zenith of his power in this respect. There ; s evidently a great falling off in his mental faculties. This may arise from his continual place hunting and subserveucy tendencies. No man will succeed in the long run as a public man who is a time server or a trucusant. In dependence of mind, although it may not bring at all times success, and will not often secure popularity, will ever in the long run command respect and esteem, and the man who consistently and inde pendency says and does that which i s right, regardless of conseqnencies, is the man who will be respected apd esteemed by his very enemies. But a pompous, presumptuous, scheming course of pfoce dure, regardless ef principle and honesty, will in due course produce its .natural mate rial fruits, hence the fall of the member for Geraldine is only another instance of cause and effect.

We understand Mr Wakefield is to make another attempt to disgorge his bile in the Crown Assembly Rooms, why does he not content niraself with disposing of it through the same channel as last year. If it was'good enough then, it is good enough now. Does he think, that by calling a public meeting in a private place, he cau stifle ap expression of public opinion by coercion through the police, if he does so he is mistaken. No police force can prevent a man from asking as many ques tions as he likes on public matters This course won't go down.