POLITICAL GLEANINGS FROM THE SOUTH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2121, 6 November 1890, Page 2

POLITICAL GLEANINGS FROM THE SOUTH.

The pretest strike has done some good. Some thousands of working men throughout the country, who previously had not taken the trouble to get their names on the roil, are now awakening to a consciousness of their pevror. The labor party, mving ueea defeated on their own around, perceive now that their only chance oi recovery is, like Scipio, to -cat ry the war into frica—to make the depute a policical one. As regards tl.e city of Dunedin it is certain that the labor candidates, whoever they may be, will be elected The existence of a so-called Electoral League has, by its tactics as well as by the pronounced anti-unionism of its leading members, : considerably weakened the chances oi all such candidates as Mr Aden, as well as mused the working, classes to greater' interest and determination. Go the other hand the banks, merchants, and land companies will spare no effort urd no money in endeavoring

to put iu members repr< entin* capitalist*. As one of the la,< U:C Ciits said to me in conversation If we dt not put oar foot on the working clashes now they will get too strong.’ But in all probability it will be seen, as an Irishman would say, that, the foot is on the other boot. As regards the country Richardson and Fergus are both safe. The security of the latter is, however, like some paople’s virtue, solely owing to not being tried. Had Air tSeddon come out for the Wakatipu he would have to run the present member very closa. Vincent Pyke is rnnning against Scobie Mackenzie for Mount Ida. The result will be in favor of Yincent Fyke by a large majority. The miners will give him pretty well a block vote, lhe undoubted abilities of Scobie Mackenzie do not, in the eyes ol

Radical diggers, atone for his Con servatism. Indeed, now-a-daya a Con servative serves in a regiment where the chances of promotion are getting rarer every day. As Yincent Pjke is to Mackenzie so Mr Valentine is to Mr Brown. The two latter are contesting tbe Tuapeka seat. On the side of Mr Valentine is the power of the Press and tbe influence of money, but, though a Roman satirist tells us that the gods always fight on the side of the rich, in this case fortune will undoubtedly favor Mr Brown. This contest has brought out a most novel feature in election matters. The Taoanui Courier anneals to all arm tin

vuuuoi uppocuo tu all auUU and flunkies to support Mr Valentine for it state* as a reason o£ quaiidcatioi that the Governor has stayed at hit house. Let us hope that such s reason will not carry much weight Port he Invercargill seat there are at the present the prospect of three candidates ; Messrs Feldwick (the present member), Hatch and Bain, 'i’he two former are Opposition candidates, the latter ah Atjnnsonian fur

the want of a more Ooneo pative leader. 3he contest will be ix-uveev Messrs FMdwick and Hatch. Mr Bain will gee few votes outside the Chamber oi Commerce clique ij e

will not pod more than a hundred votes. There is some talk of putting Mr Kelly, the secratary of the Southland Jjaboqr ]Jmon ? forward, but a gentleman well posted up u> the i councils of this party informs me that : Mr Kelly will withdraw. T u j VB an idea of the spirit with which the laboring classes in Invercargill are marching towards battle I will quote a -cfi.enn!' from a letter Irom the above mentioned gentleman; “is

? ive never in this country seen the f- orking men so interested in an Section as they appear to be in this. 1 hey have awakened up to the fact that the question which they will be called upon to decide is whether the country shall be governed in the interest of the Bank of New Zealand and the Union Shipping Co., or in the interest of the toiling majority.” In all probability Mr Feldwick will gain the r ay. He is not an orator. Indeed, I ould not take half-a-crown to listen a lengthy speech from him"; hut i ben he is a conscientious man/whose ;ote has always been on the side of (he masses. There will no doubt he enough eloquence in the new House. Already we can hear the ferrea vox of Air Fish, jun., above the din of battle. Hence Invercargill electors can afford to vote for a candidate upon other recommendation. For the Clutha ueat there is at present no opponent to Mr McKenzie. Happy man, while other candidates are in the miseries of uncertainty, he is calmly devoting his time to complete his studies in the French language. For the Bruce constituency Mr Thompson is likely to be elected. From correspondents in the North Island I bear that there is not the slightest doubt of Mr Ballance’s return. Oswald B. Hugo.