The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1884. QUESTIONING THE CANDIDATE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1184, 29 May 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1884. QUESTIONING THE CANDIDATE.

Mr Samuel Charles Jolly, the work-iug-man candidate for Ashburton, is, we understand, a character in his way. He offered himself as a candidate for Wakanui the electorate adjoining Ashburton—at the last election, but did not persevere further than to make one speech. He appeared on the platform dressed in tin clothes he wore when last , working as “ chaffy ” at a threshing machine, and was introduced by the chairman as a Heaven-born statesman. He was well-known amongst the working men of the district, and had a particularly well-defined “ cockney” method of pronouncing words. All these peculiarities may fairly be set down as a temptation to his audience to amu.se themselves at his expense, yet he received a very good bearing, frequent expressions of approbation being the only interruptions he met with. The audience had their bit of fun, though* After be had delivered his address, which was a clever one, he was literally deluged with an extraordinary number of most amusing questions. We clip the following from the Ashburton Mail, which, by-the-bye, is the only paper that gave him anything like a report :

An elector asked—ls Mr Jolly in favor ot granting voting papers to women and to his motber-in-law ?

(Prolonged laughing and applause.)— Mr Jolly : As every man is the breadwinner and head of the family, the women should stay at home and look after the house. Not having a mother - in-law he felt for those who had them. (Cheers.) If returned would Mr Jolly ride in a first-class carriage instead of a special express ?—The candidate said he would be content with a second class carriage to save «xpense. (Applause.) Would Mr Jolly favor an Act fixing lawyers' charges of advice at 1b 8d instead of 6s 8d ? (Prolonged applause.)—Mr Jolly said he was in favor of a number of alterations. In America every man was permitted to appoint his own attorney ; out here a lawyer would accept a pound in the right hand to save your life, and in the right hand thirty shillings to hang you. (The applause and cheering here lasted several seconds.) Would Mr Jolly be in favor of the appointment of a Government rabbitcatcher ? (Applause.) —Mr Jolly : Rabbits are a plague, and the Government should put them down. Would Mr Jolly be m favor of a Bill to remove straw stacks from the township? (Laughter.)—Mr Jolly was understood to say that if they wanted them moved he would tender for them.

. If defeated would Mr Jollf accept a seat in the Legislative Council ? (Intense delight).—Mr Jolly considered that every man in the Upper House should bs a working man. (The answer provoked a hearty burst of laughter and cheers.)

Has Mr Purnell made overtures to Mr Jolly with the object of forming a middle party ? (Cheering.)—Mr Jolly said he had seen Mr Purnell's name in ihe paper, but he couldn't say whether that gentleman was either a black man, a white man, a fat or a lean man, so that he could not have made overtures as stated in the question, (Irresistible laughter and applause.) Would Mr Jolly be in favor of a premium for coloring meerschaums ? (Laughter.) ~Mr Jolly: Premiums have been given to too many " mere shams" already, but I trust the custom will now cease. (Thunders of applause.) We publish this to show our readers how they may enjoy themselves at such meetings if they desire to do so. We put it to themselves now : Was it not pleasanter, more amusing, and more respectable for the people of Ashburton to hear Mr Jolly first and then ask him these questions, than disturb his meeting by howling and yelling, and other senseless lines of conduct ? Mark how witty and humorous were the questions. They show that those preseut were clever and intelligent, yet not a word was spoken to hurt the speaker's feelings. No man living could object to such harmless banter, and if our readers would take our advice they would adopt this line of conduct in future instead of indulging in discreditable practices. It is with the hope that the pointing out of these matters will have the desired effect that we publish this extract. It is our duty to try to correct abuses and direct attention to what is right and proper. In performing this duty we have brought the illwill of a great many on ourselves. Since the articles on larrikinism appeared the editor of this paper has been subjected to a deal of annoyance. He caanot now appear in any public place without the pitiably misguided youths of Temuka subjecting him to all the annoyances that folly and senselessness can suggest to them. But we ieel that we have the sympathy of every respectable man in the town, and this campensates for the disagreeablen«ss of being a marked man. We feel too that we have done soma good. Already some of the churchss have taken the matter up, the clergymen have backed us up nobly, and we feel confident that some good will result from it. If so we shall feel satisfied that we have rendered a good service to the district.