POLITICAL DISHONESTY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2675, 27 August 1887, Page 2

POLITICAL DISHONESTY.

(To the Editor.) . ( Sir,—Mr Hogg has now spoken quite a number of times in connection , with his candidature for the represen- ( tation of Masterton. - I have listened ( to him when ho spoke in the town, ( and I have also read all the articles in . support of bis views which have appeared in the otar, the editorial columns of which he controls, yet I t have failed to find anything that can bo - deaoribed as straightforward and honest. Indeed, I have been forced ', to conclude that his platform is politioal dishonesty—nothing more,nor less. If I, as well as many other working men, feel disappointed with him, the fault is entirely'bis own, for be has only dealt in.generalities, without advancing auytbinj! to prove that his. ideas are sound. Ut us quote a few iust&noes. If there is que point upon which he ptigbt to be strong tbau upon any other, it is that of Protection, beoauso the /'Government means (or professes to mean) .♦<o.stand or fall by it. He tells us that we shall have more work and larger wages if a Protection tariff is adop.tedj-yet befalls to show that, there is a country anywhere oh the face of this oarth'.where wages are higher, or work uioro plentiful thatt in New Zealand, He'knows' there is no suck country. He knows that his pet colpny. of Victoria.is, according to the latest statistics, minus a considerable; portion of its fair share of male' working population, which must have left to find work ia other colonies. Bat he carefully avoids all reference to such matters, because they impart a disagreeable; odor to. his bait/ I say he is politically,dishonest when he hides- such ikipottant fids, ■ He has said a, great deal about the manufactories of protected" countries in Europe, bat it did not. suit.him to 1 quote the rate, of tfages, Ashe knows i perfectly well that it is from thittyto fifty per cent lower than in England, his silence upon the point is not p*r-

haps to be wondered at, but is it honest? In his first spoeob Mr Hogg was very emphatic in saying that he waß in favor of freeholds. In the light of .that declaration all that he i haß written in favor of expropriation ■ and land nationalisation must be ' looked upon as so muoh literary. > Bewago, which would do for a Radioal i papor, but not to put before the electors, of Masterton, Mr Hogg's ideas were unsuccessfully altered to suit the circumstances. Is that honest I Again, -Mr Hogg says he wishes to avoid personalities. If so, why is he tho only osndidate ), who indulges in them, and why does ■ he bo frequently impute persoual ) motives to Mr Beethain 1 Why does ■ he perwst in saying that certain land • sold to Mr Beethain's relatives is first ' plan when he has never seen.it, and i when he knows that the surveyor's i report is not at all to that • effect ? ' Again I say, because he is politically I dishonest In connection, with Mr ) Ballanoe's unauthorised expenditute of l £70,000 on Village Settlements, he; I promised to give extracts from H&ii- ■ sard to show that it was » Why has he not kept hii;wosll For i the .very simple■■re^ii J . :! tb'at not a \ single.sentence cln' be dipped from the / debate which would ahow that there: 1 was authority for expenditure abovo » £5,000. Ycror readers will' agree, 9 with me, when I say that Mr Hogg: 3 tried .to hoodwink the people,. .But it ■ he is of opinion, that iadividual * Ministers. should have; power I 'to go 8 behindParliamentssuch a manner, 3 is he a lit man to represent us 1 The 1 electors will answer the question for 1 themselves. r I am, 4a, •'...■ Jinuw,