MR HAWKINS AND THE WORKING MAN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1754, 6 August 1884, Page 2

MR HAWKINS AND THE WORKING MAN.

To the Editor. Sir—ln looking over a file of the Daily I discovered a long letter from Mr Hawkins, giving an explanation of the reason why he voted for Mr Beetham. There is not very much in the letter calling for notice, but one cannot help being struck by two leading ideas. First, there seems pervading the letter from beginning to end, contempt for McCardle, pity for Beetham, and a feeling of almost sufficient sympathy for the unfortunate unrepresented of Wairarapa North to induce Mr Hawkins himself to supply.their need. In the second place, Mr Hawkins treats the subject of politics in quite a different style, from a democratic standpoint, to that of the working man. The feeling lias been growing in the breast of the latter that his interests are not represented. He does not care to vote for a member of a class already over-represented, consequently he votes for a working man, and no amount of reasoning, good or plausible, will induce him to hesitate in his choice between a working man and a squatter. If Mr Hawkins doubts this let hire judge the progress of the feeling I have mentioned, by comparing the voting in 1881 and 1884, and that again with the next election when the time conies round. Elections here have previously been decided on personal grounds, but the times are changing, and class questions are becoming the test. This is likely to continue predominant until we can get a Governmen'; equal to the task of initiating a policy. Yours, &c., Reform,