The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 1894. DISGRACEFUL POLITICS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1197, 28 June 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 1894. DISGRACEFUL POLITICS.

There is a certain class of politician! in this colony who make it a point to corrupt the minds of the working men by misrepresenting facts, and appealing to their worst passions. We ask working men now to look over the list of their representatives and reflect upon their conduct. In 1880 the first election under the liberal franchise took place, and many a sturdy champion of the working classes wag elected. Now what has been the result 1 First of all a disgraceful wrangle over the payment of the fares of members wives' to and from "Wellington. The unseemly scene which took place over this mattei will for years remain a blot on the records of Parliament. The next step was to support a Governmdnt which never had the confidence of the country. Ihere is not the slightest doubt but that at the time of

the last general election the countrylooked forward hopefully to the defeat of the Government that existed then, and that the majority of the people voted for such men as they thought would assist in that way. But when these members asaembled in Wellington thoy forgot all their pledges, and accepted bribes to keep that Ministry in power. We do not mean to say that members got money to put into their own individual pockets. What we mean is that for the sake of getting a bridge or a road raadein their constituencies they gave their votes to the Government while they honestly believed that Government was unworthy of their support. Th.B is corruption pure and simple, and anyone doubting it need only take a glance at Hansard for the past three sessions. It will be seen that very frequently questions were raised, and proposals brought forward, with the view of having them discussed in a friendly spirit. The proposers of such questions invariably intimated their intention of discussing them quite independent of parties ; but these Major Atkinson on all occasions treated as no-coufidence motion*. | Whenever oue of these motions was brought forward the gallant Major raised the standard of the prophet, proclaimed a holy war, and called upon his followers to vote as he desired. Discussion was thus burked and legislation hindered, and these would-be champions of the working men were amongst those who helped in this way. Mark now what it all ended in. The Parliament had readied the last session of its existence ; it would shortly have died by the effluxion of time, at any rate, and to kill it sooner meant to put tbecouutry to an enormous expense. But the loaves and fishes had been all disposed of, all that could be got out of the Government was got, and these veiy men who had followed the standard ,t Harry Albert, Prophet of Mount Egmont, for the past two sessions thought fit now to turn round and desert him. On this occasion the great prophet was meeker than ever he had been. Although the motion was a direct no-confidence one, he refused to accept it as such until he found it was useless to resist. Compare thatwith the readiness with which he was wont to treat questions that had no party significance during the previous sessions. The mover and seconder of the noconfidence motion intimated thac it was hopeless to form a Government out of the Opposition, and that what was wanted was a dissolution. The Government accordingly advised the Governor to dissolve Parliament, and he did so, but this did not please the Opposition, and they had the impudence to attempt to censure the Queen's representative for doing exactly what they at first asked to be done. And now comes the secret of the whole proceedings. The item of £43,000 was submitted to them as honorarium for themselves—that is, £2lO each, with other incidentals. The Government asked them to reduce this sum to £IOO each, which it was held was enough for ton days' work. But they refused to accept it, and they voted to themselves £2lO each for ten days' work, which work simply means putting the country to perhaps £IOO,OOO expense. We are in favor of payment of members, but we certainly think the conduct of those who voted for the full honorarium on this occasion is disgraceful, and that none of them should ever again be returned to Parliament. Not satisfied with the full honorarium they wrangled over how long their passes on the railway would last, and behaved, generally, in a manner that is sufficient to make any respect able, honest man feel humiliated at being a member of Parliament. The would-be champions of the working men have been conspicuous amongst those who have behaved themselves thus, and it Until working men realise that they are being made dupes of by political mountebanks for their own selfish ends, and vote for honest men, no matter whether they are rich or poor, legislation will be carried on corruptly. We shall soon go more fully into the working man's side of politics.