BEHOLD THE PROMISED CHIEF!

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1118, 24 October 1873, Page 2

BEHOLD THE PROMISED CHIEF!

(to the Ediior of the WeslpoH Thfies.) Sir, —Choosing a Superintendent is a matter of such grave importance to the people of a province that I hope you will not consider it out of place troubling your readers with a few remarks on the subject. A Superintendent lias such great power for both good and evil, that it is* truthful, honest, sober, witty s and intelligent; well instructed in the principles of Adam Smith and his disciples, a lover of his adopted country, and with a large stock of go-a-headiveness in his composition; Such an one would make the mountains and rivers give up their wealth, the land its plentiful harvest,, villages grow into towns, towns into cities, and the population of the province double in a single term of office. Are we doing anything Calculated to introduce such a gentleman to the Supcrintendental chair at the coming election, who may rule over us with credit to himself and advantage to us for the next four years ? I am afraid the ansAver must be in the negative. It is true a certain left-handed clique, with their usual selfish short-sightedness, have memorialised our ready and willing Westport politician par excellence to stand for Superintendent, although in the opinion of many he is a most undesirable person for the office. To say nothing of his incompatability of temper when on the Improvement, Hospital, and Athenaeum Committees, how will his doings in the Provincial Council, and in the House of Representatives recommend him to the independent electors of the Province? Shall we not look for one as our Chief Magistrate who does not send false reports of his own doings in Council to his own or any other newspaper; who shall not buy land which his constituents are petitioning through him to have reserved for a special purpose; who shall not vote against and defeat the Ministry who were doing more for this district than all their predecessors had done ? If we look not for another and a better man, are we not in reality handing over to himself and his moneyed friends the pick of the available lands of the province, and the pick of everything else that may be picked up, which Would give hint an excellent opportunity of exercising his darling propensity of writing reports to the press to suit his own purposes.

Let us hope the ieft handed clique Will be able to give independent electors a satisfactory account of the sudden change in their own dpiriions in regard to their proposed chief; for it is but a few months ago since they were denouncing him furiously from the public platform and in private conversation. Unless they Can do so electors outside Wdstport will look upon them as no better thatl himself) for it is long since they have learned to distrust tho tactics of Westpoft politicians Who seem to belong to the Nclsonian school—proper obstructives.

It will be! a thousand times better for Us to again return Mr Curtis to the" chair than to choose the Westpoft new light; for Mr Curtis' principal defect seems to be an inability or disinclination

'to go a-head at something like an average speed, and in this he may improve. He merely wants instilled into him more faith in the resources of the province, and energy to superintend their development. Meantime, if the 'electors of the West Coast are determined to bring forward ■& candidate, let them bring some one who at least commands respect. Better have an untried gentleman than a tried duffer like the 'one selected by that clique in Westport. i am, &c, Asr Elector.