THE MONOPOLISTS' RALLY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2607, 26 May 1887, Page 2

THE MONOPOLISTS' RALLY.

The Protectionist meeting on Monday night was a truly-comical demonstration., ' 3 nder the pretence of holding a " public meeting to consider the proposed tariff," a number of Protectionists got together, to spout cut and driedjspeches and pass cut and dried resolutions in favor of their own views, and, in appointing a committee, they actuajly had the absurdity to strike off the name of an unfortunate man who had let out that he was a freetrader, It seems that if the promoters of the meeting had had their way, not one of the principal speakers'would have been a Wellington man, except Mr Drangfield, One was brought from Masterton, and "introduced to a Wellington audience" for the first time, Another came from Nelson, and another from Auckland, The only public man belonging to Wellington who addressed the meeting, was scarcely allowed to speak, because he did not agreo with the cut and dried regulations; and, in fact, it was plainly shown that though the unsigned advertisement had invited the public to como to' tho meeting to Consider the proposed Tariff, the publip were not wanted there, and no discussion was to be allowed, The meeting was a farce, and greater nonsense than was talked at it could scarcely be imagined. If that is a fair specimen of a Protectionist meeting, Lord defend us from Protection.—Press.