THE COMING ELECTION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2708, 23 September 1887, Page 2

THE COMING ELECTION.

(To the Editor.)

[ .Sir,-As the several candidates for ' tho honor of a seat in tho House of Representatives for tho district of Masi terton have now clearly defined tbeir i views, it will be the duty of the electors i at the approaching election of the 26th i September to vote for the candidate i who they would like to bo their future representative. According to the utterances of the speakers which have been placed before the electors, there ate two issues of vital importance that the electors should seriously consider as materially, bearing upon the comfort and interest of the people, namely— Stout-Vogel v Protection Atkinson and Hall, v Freetiade, The tariff which the Stout-Vogel Government have submitted to the representatives of the people in the late House of Representatives has been—which the electors are now fully aware—rejected as oppressive, and found to inflict sufferings upon the working people of the (Jolpny, and although the Ministry upon this all important subject have suffered a defeat they nevertheless cling to the emoluments of office and refuse to resign until the members of the new House of Representatives either approve or disapprove of the same tariff. I hardly think that tho electors of the Masterton district will now return a member who will support so unjust a measure as that which has alieady . been condemned under the name of Protection, and tha fad of high wages to the working man. In some of the Maaterton papers I observe an advertisement where a suit of menjs clothing can be purchased for about twenty shillings, No doubt the shareholders of the few woollen factories of the Colony, who are now receiving out of the profits.of the work about ten per oent on their capital will grumble 'if members are not returned to the new House of Representatives pledged to put a heavy protective; duty on suit' of clothes in addition, which is already on; so that the mtol. tunate working man or purchaser may have.at least thirty shillings to pay for , his suit, in place of twenty-five .ehiilings thereby enabling the woollen company to pay to. its shareholders, another ten per cent on. the capital, But I would ask will the . limited number of working men 'who work at these factories receive any more ■wages bbyond' what ;they are now /receiving ? I doubt if they will, Thus you will see fellow electors that under the cry or fad of Proteot'iijn you will place men in Parliament to keep in office a spendthrift 1 Government 'already-condemned for their extravagance and 'waste of public ] money, by the representatives of ' : the people, and to inflict upon 1 you and thousands of your own ' working class a heavy protective, duty for'the benefit of the 1 shareholders of -a few companies aid 1 the keeping in office of the Govern-, went already eondeaaned, I don't 1

have taken ' place in Masterton • there would ( be found half a dozen men 'who. remember when the corn laws of , ; England were in force. I well remember when the working men -of England had to .pay a heavy, price for a loaf of bread, and :when these, obnoxiousalawa were repealed the poor man'could have his loaf for,one half ■itefofraer'.price, there-! by conferring a. bkesing'- upon millions of people, to the'. partial injury of the . farmers- who • were years living on tbe sufferings and poverty of the poorer classes. .Surely .you are not as electors going to 'establish in thiß ; . Co|ony such an outrage; such a cruelto# upon yourselves and yout: fellow menf > women, and children,\ under-the fad of ' Protoption and, high : wages, and, to send men to. represent jyou to carry out this wicked andunrighteoisteork. An able writer upon the preseialpolitical aspect , of : the polony observes asregardpßome of the candidates for the new .-Houso -of-Represen-tatives. The House promises to bo decidedly inferior, to-tho-former House. There are plenty ofcandidatee coming forward all over the country/ but there are very few of .the. right sort, and in, many cases the electors seenl inclined to' ignore gait services; - and: •' to prefer the least qualified candidates iu room Of character education, experience, and ability. Above all, the electors should intp confiding iti'blatant brazen dom- . agogues or iu (nen who desire to entor Parliament merely to adyocato certain fads, . The latter class of Eepresentatives are little.better than 'those whjt seek a seat in order to'.ventilate peis sonal grievances,. or. seek private interest," . And now,"Sir aword about the future representative of this district" in Parliament.As an old -electer I have found Mr Beethaoi a. straight | forward - honorable/and - moral man whose word could always be relied upon, and who after a long -residence in the district shared with toil and struggle of "early set'tlenffl| and identified himself with our lo(ial institutions in Order to further of Masterton, and the advancement of the Colony as a. -member of the House of . .Representatives. As .Mr Ballance justly • remarked at his last meelibg here,'Mr Beetham Save every assistance in settling' the people upon tho^waste landt.of the Crown. Besides, as a ,man .-.of long parliamentary experience,. Mr Beetham's word commands attention and, respect, and. as employers of. labor * Beethain'Brother have given bread to } hundreds of deserving men during the last twenty-five years. Now, sir, permit me,vthrough the coluuiiispf your journal to aak tbe honest' elector who has not been carried away by leaps and bouuds and all kinds of fadsj'£iijl who cahuot be made to believe in. the' Stout policy of ; Protection, which Mr Hogg has ingeniously endeaVbjfc to thrust down the throats of tlie electorsv. as.. meaning prosperity; and high wages. What objection cat ; 4oneit electors, ,who can think' (or. themselves, ve \ against the. man who has faithfully: served the district for a-long -period of years, and who baa voted against,.the present i.-Oovernmeiif; for attempting to place on the shoulders of the people aii unjust tax. : I feel sure, sir, that,'no, honest eloitor who..has - decided tipnake tho district of "ilasterton his |, future' home will-, vote against the man who has.faithfully served thein as .'Mr Beetham has done. I am, eto., , ■■brOld Elector.