NUTS BY LIBEL.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 228, 15 December 1893, Page 8

NUTS BY LIBEL.

The election is over. The die is cast. The people of the Colony have chosen their lawmakers for another term. The Liberal Government has triumphed. Probably it has been the most etching contest that has ever taken place in the Colony. There were two reasons for this; first because the ques ion of Party, Liberal or Conservative, was more to the front than ever before; and secondly (this is not a sermon, gentle reader), because Woman for the first time took an active part in the warfare Will the o] ponents of Woman’s Franchise point out in what way (lie ladies were defective, in what they erred, and deny if they can that they bore themselves right royally in the fight. The excitement and bustle has now subsided and the Country once more assumes the even tenor of its ways. The winners of the different events, are, I (row shaking hands with themselves—-like the Chinee-—and like a true and honest Britisher with friend and opponent alike, while the defeated ones, no doubt. though slightly sore , at heart, hear their defeat like Britons. Several prominent figures have disappeared from the political arena,, while new lights have made their appearance on ihe horizon, It is to be regretted that the country has lost, for a time at least, the services of Stich nieu as S.eqbie Mackenzie and George lUchardson, wails it is to be congrai ulated on getting rid of its fishy ones. ‘ Weighed in the balance and found wanting.’ The Government has triumphed all jibing tire line, and the lion, sieudon and his colleagues appear safe for another term. But there are snags in the Way. Fir P.Cmert and his band of resolute ‘Direct Yetoists,’ are more to be dreaded by the Ministry than the Opposition itself. But tire Hon Richard is a mau of expedients, and is not easily daunted and I shall not be sur-

prised to see him steer his barque safely through the troubled waters. Corning to our own district, the electors have decided that Mr Houston is worthy of their confidence. and have therefore again selected him for their representative in the ‘ big wooden house. Once again Mr Houston can sign himself R.M.H, M.H. R. Yes, the far North has again proved victorious. 1 have often heard the argument used in these parts that we should get a local man as our representative in parliament ; one who has the interest of the district at heart, and one who will see that the Northern Wairoa is not slighted. Personally Ido not believe in localism and I would as soon support one from the North Cape, as one from our own district, were he as worthy of support. But it seems strange that those who are anxious for a local man let the opportunity slip when offered. Out of three thousand votes polled the other day less than seven hundred and fiftv came from this part, hence it was hopeless to expect to return a local man when there were two in the field. It would appear that the Northerners are wiser than us in this matter, for Mr Houston received almost a solid ‘ block vote ’ in his own district. At the last election the votes were so split and Mr Houston’s majority so small that it was a question whether our member reallv represented the majority of the people. Unfortunately the question still remains undecided. It seems a pity that when the third candidate saw he had no prospect of being elected be did not retire and allow the two to fight it out. Though I believe the result would have been the same it would have been more satisfactory both to Mr Houston and his supporters to know that he actually :epresented an absolute majority of the electors.

There are many ways of taking a defeat. Some men cannot accept defeat under any circumstances, and rage and fume and contrive to make everyone around them miserable as well as them Some there are who take a morbid view of matters when met by defeat, and pine ana fret and injure their health in consequence. There are others who take matters coolly, and say ‘ Well, it can’t be helped, we did our best, or ‘ let s try again.’ Probably nothing shows the mettle a man is made of so well as a defeat at the election ; no defeat is harder to bear. For several weeks the candidate is in an excited frame of mind, his prospects appear good ; hope, the main spring of life, .is in the ascendency, and he feels confident of victory. The all-important day arrives, he is defeated’ his hopes are killed, the excitement is over, and probably his exchequer is at a low ebb. Yes, defeat under such circumstances is hard indeed to bear. In some cases I wot of it proved too great a, strain and the unfortunate oue took his life People have much more respect for those who bear the beating with good graee. than for those who fret, or fume, and the chances are that he who takes the matter kindly will at some future ate be amongst the 1 chosen, of the people ’ i met the two defeated candidates for the Bay the other day and was pleased to note that they both appeared in good spirits, and had accepted their trounsing like men^’

In some instances the supporters of the candidate take the matter more to heart than the candidate himself. I came across a party of men the other day and seeing they looked a hit glum I enquired as to the cause. - Our man is beaten,’ they said, 1 we were confident of winning hut those confounded Northerners proved too much for us. We’ll go and get jolly well drunk for spite.’ Possibly it will be consoling to the defeated ones to know that their supporters get so cut up at defeat, I was a t.-ifle amused on polling day watching two rival canvassers or scouts in the vicinity of one of the polling stations. As the electors wandered in from different directions, these two might have been seen rushing off to meet them, each trying to steal a march on tne other. The one would shake hands all round (if there happened to be a party together) and enquire after the health of the family, the state of the gum market, or anything he thought might prove what an' interest he look in their well being. And he would end up by telling them he was sure that they were going to vote for the right man—his man. When the ■ free and independents ’ moved forward they would fall fairly into the arms of ‘ tother chap,'’ who with a handful of circulars and leaflets etc. was prepared for anything, Eventually the volers would reach the booth and do the deed and possibly vote for the third candidate who didn’t happen to have a scout on the job at this particular place. The utmost good feeling pre~ vailed between the rival touts, and between whiles when business was slack they might have been seen chatting and laughing quite" aifabl"• And this is as it should be. ‘ A couplo of days after the election ‘Libel’ was trudging along the street when he overtook one who had been working all he knew in the interests of a certain candidate and ‘ Libel ’ had been on the job for one of the others. Feeling at one time had run pretty high and 1 wished to ascertain how my antagonist felt now the war was over. On mentioning the subject he exclaimed, ‘ Look here oul man, each of us did all vve could lor our man, aim possibly we’ll fight it out again some time, but meanwhile let us jog- along comfortably and happily ; life is too short to be at loggerheads, -Liuel echoes that remark* We are informed ou high authority that Mr i Frank Dargaville by his generous conduct *m contesting the Bay ' electorate with no prospector win mug-, savea the district from, unheard of calamatiss—calamities too frightful for me to men non fiove, _ is Mr Dargaville accomplished m HiTioiL by beqpg defeated, what would he have done haq Jie t, eeu elected? There now Mr Editor, don't shirk the question like candidates for parliamentary honours sometimes do, but oblige us with your honest(opinion. Well Mr Editor Mi's L wants me to go aud help wash up the dishes ; learnt the trick when I was young and foolish and now I’ve got to do it or—.‘l’m coming Sarah.” J