The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1884. THE MEMBER FOR GERALDINE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1270, 27 November 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1884. THE MEMBER FOR GERALDINE.

Our representative in Parliament has rendered himself the subject of a great deal of severe criticism. He seems to he condemned all round. The Otago Daily Times, a few weeks ago, speaks of him as follows:—“Turning to the front Opposition bench, Mr Rolleston has achieved the unenviable distinction of being the most unpopular man in the House. And he deserves it. Li is behaviour this session has been unworthy of his breeding and good qualities. Politics with him are always personalities, and lie has ever had the fancy that the whole honesty of Parliament is concentrated in himself ; but 1.0 has carried this to an extent during the last few months which has grated upon the feelings of every man in the House capable of a generous sentiment, and he has taken his defeat with a bad grace, n-H-h naturally makes people think and call him an office-seeker.” We are getting so accuMomedjtoreading twaddle in the leading columns of the Otago Daily Times, that nothing which it says now surprises us. That paper was once conducted with much ability, but somehow it has fallen to the level of mediocrity. The charge of being an “ officeseeker ” which it makes against Mr Rolleston, is not original. It was first made against him by the people of North Canterbury—more particularly the people ot Christchurch—when he consented to remain in a Ministry that increased the grain tariff. It was then alleged that Mr Rolleston disapproved of the grain tariff, but that he did not dare 10 oppose the wislic- of bis colleagues lest, it would necessitate bis resignation. The accusation was hatched in selfishness, and it was a selfish people that measured Mr Rolleston by their own bushels. Mr Rolleston has since frequently and persistently urged that he was in thorough accord with liis colleagues on the question of the tariff. When Major Atkinson in the crisis which occurred at the beginning of last session was called upon to form a Ministry, Mr Rolleston relinquished all claim to a portfolio. . He had certainly strong claims on Major Atkinson. If he had wished he might have posed as a martyr to the policy of the late Government, tor R had lost him not only the confidence of a constituency which had returned him for sixteen years, but also the friendship of a large number of his fellow colonists. He might very well have based his claim to a portfolio on this as well as on the services he had rendered, but he did not. Unlike the many who were then scrambling for office, he told Major Atkinson that he would release him from all obligation to himself, that he did not seek office, and that if a stable Government of tbe “new bloods ” could be got together he would give them his hearty support. In the face of these incontrovertible facts, to accuse Mr Rolleston of office-seeking is unspeakably mean. There is some excuse for the Christchurch people doing this. He has opposed them in their pet “ jobbery,” ami it is only natural that they should gratify their vindictive feelings by attributing base motives to him by whom they have been thwarted. But there is no such excuse for the Otago Daily Times. Its attack was wanton and undeserved, but no doubt the writer ran short of ideas, as usual, and it came in handy to rehash it up for the delectation of his readers. It does not require much wisdom to realise that, right or wrong, Mr Rolleston is sincere and honest. Had he desired it he might have been the most popular man in Canterbury. Had ho opposed the grain tariff and supported the Y(est Coast Railway, Christchurch would have been on its marrow-bones to do homage to him, but he has not done so because his aspirations are higher, and his aims nobler, than to secure to Iqmself the applaq.se ot the selfish and unthinking. He does what few of our politicians do : He prefers to legislate for the colony as a whole, (ban for a clique or district ; and (he fact that he does what he well knows is unpopular is the best guarantee of bis sincerity. The timeserver and office- J

seeker studies public opinion, and modifies bis views to suit it ; the honest politician adheres to his convictions regardless of consequences. That Mr Rolleston has adopted the latter course cannot be doubted, and that lie is sincere,; and honest is utterly indisputable. We are not at all surprised at finding him indulging in personalities ; nor does it strike us as anything wonderful that he went to the extent of casting doubt upon the honesty of many members of the present Parliament. When “jobbery and corruption” are running riot, it is not in the nature of tilings that an honest man can look on without protesting against them. The asertion that his “ behavior was unworthy of his breeding ” is in very bad taste, especially coming from the Otago Daily Times, whose editor, according to the Oaraaru Mail, behaved in such a way when in Wellington that the members had to seek the services of the servants of the House to keep him in his proper place. However, such paltry attacks as these cannot hurt Mr Rolleston : his character is too well established to be damaged by such groundless charges ; aod though North Canterbury and Otago may combine against him, they will not lessen the confidence reposed in him by his Geraldine consth tuents.