The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1881.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 900, 15 October 1881, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1881.

Persistent and somewhat unscrupulous efforts are now being made to discredit the Hall Ministry. All is fair in love and war, and at an election time even misrepresentation is privileged, Dust is being thrown in the eyes of the electors, but even they half blinded though they may be with opposition powder— must be conscious of the fact that the present Ministry have been honest and faithful servants to them. They cannot have forgotten the first service which the Ministry rendered to the colony in taking it out of tho hands of Sir George Grey when he had brought it to the verge of ruin, and they must admit that since that time the colony has righted itself at home and abroad, and is now making headway. If the olony were to dis° pense with the services of its present servants—the Hall Ministry—who would take their places ? There is but ono mau to form a new Ministry, and that is our old friend Sir Geo, Grey ! The old Knight is somewhat at a discount now, and his followers pretend that they have dropped him—that he is no more their leader. " Oh, no! they never mention lum j his name is never heard," and yet it is perfectly well known that he is as active as ever—that he is pulling the strings at the elections, and that he supplies the sinews of war for his party. His couriers scour the country, arid even Masterton has been honored with their attention. If the Opposition could turn out the Ministrv, Sir George would re-appear at the head of his party again, His followers would perhaps sooner be without him, but they can't help themselves, They are in many instances pensioners on his bounty; with him they are but puppets, but without him they are helpless, The marked characteristic of the Opposition party is its utter absence of a visible head. To compensate for this, however, it is stuffed with principles. From every pore in its body principles exude, From every lip which represents it a string of purty cries is unrolled which is intended to dazzle the multitude. The great head of the party, Sir George himself, is gorged with principles and is chock full of sentiment, biit with all this he seems to find a difficulty in either! " speaking straight or acting straight."' Any man,, woman, or child know what a member of the Hall Ministry means when he makes a statemen', hut no one can interpret Sir Georgh's sayings excepting himsslf, and hie own interpretations are more remarkable for ingenuity than probability. 'We repeat that the country has to choose between the Hall Ministry and Sir Geobge Gbey, and that the Knight ;of Kaw>u, v though, in. bad odour no#

and kfipt very much in the I'ackgreund by his party, really rules the roast for tljo Opposition. He .may allow someone putsitlc* his own party—such as Mr Ormond—to attempt the dirty, work of turning out the present Ministry, bat Sir George knows well enough that a new Ministry cannot be formed without him, and he will never assist in forming one without he selects the best place for himself. ' There was a time two years ago when the wolf came very near the doors of many thousands of families in this colony. That time is past, but we trust its lesson is not forgotten, and that we shall not hazard a repetition of it by throwing off , our allegiance from a prudent and economical Government and placing ourselves at the mercy of a reckless and immoral one.