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The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1889.

There have been few journals in the colony so staunch in advocating the adoption of the Hare system of representation as the Auckland Evening Star. Whenever it has taken up the question of legislative reform and pressed the advantages of the new over the existing system, it has never failed to dwell upon the awful condition of corruption and demoralisation into which the Parliamentary machinery of the colony had fallen. And why i Because of the pernicious habit possessed by the electors of choosing representatives on their local merits and solely with the intention of securing sundry local requirements. r lhe candidate who could put on the boldest front and persistency for local needs, w;is the man for Galway. Questions of national importance, the vitil interests of thu colony at large, were of secondary consideration in the eyes of the common run of the "free and independent,' compared to their own claims. We have deplored this state of political degradation as deeply as our contemporary, and we have given as strong a support to the substitution of the principles of the Hare system as it has done ; and for the same reasons, namely, that we should then enable the people to abandon their wretched localism, close their ears to the shrill piping of all sorts and conditions of political quid-nuncs, and elect representatives drawn from the ranks of our ablest public men, who had won reputations of a colonial character for proved ability and distinguished services, and who would sit in Parliament to legislate for the colony. The Star has frequently argued in this manner; indeed, we may say it has been " perfcrvid ' in its articles on the subject. But, alas! for the genuineness and consistency of many public expressions, when the great principles they would cover begin to clash with private interests or motives. The Star opposes the candidature of Mr John Bryce for Waipn, and tells the electors they will make a great mistake in returning him as their representative. It does not base its objections to him on broad grounds, it freely admits he possesses those qualifications and integrity of purpose which are sought in men who should be our colonial statesmen and trusted with the affairs of the State. No, our contemporary drops from its former pinnacle of lofty aspirations and betrays that the deadly old leaven still clogs its soul. The passion for the ways that lead to corruption, logrolling and legislative extravagance is yet strong in its veins. The Star opposes the nomination of Mr Bryce on the narrow, weak reason that he is not a local man and cannot, therefore, give proper attention to the local wants of the Waipa district. It alleges it would not be possible for Mr Bryce to keep in sympathy with a district, with which he is not personally connected. What now becomes of all the former heroics of our city contemporary with which it regaled its readers when preaching the broad and liberal doctrine of the Hare system.? The Waipa electors, whether intentionally or not we will not discuss, by a fortuitous circumstance, are prepared to give a practical adaptation of tho great principle contained in that system by calling

upon a man, who, whilst personally unknown to them, is regarded as one sorely needed in the councils of the colony ; and they turn to him because his worth and character are known throughout the country. And these reasons form one of the strongest arguments of the advocates of the Hare system. Not a thought was given to local wants by a single one of the many settlers who favoured Mr Bryce's nomination, until it was suggested by the Star, and from whose article our Alexandra correspondent has, evidently, taken the cue for his letter. When analysed what do these objections amount to? Simply that Waipa has no local wants, has no wants which are not shared in by the rest of the colony and which require to be dealt with from a colonial point of view. The question of railway management is not a local want; reform in the railway policy is of national concern, and the evils of the existing system are merely shared in by Waipa, with its scattered population, to a small extent, in common with the rest of the colony. Mr Bryce, with the same sentiments animating his own immediate portion of the colony, can surely be safely entrusted to bring his influence and experience to bear upon that question, and with better effect than any local candidate who has neither his influence, character, or ability. We are not aware that Waipa has a native difficulty peculiarly its own. The administration of native affairs is of no greater importance to Waipa than to other more extended or more important native districts. The native policy is no longer a bogey in our politics, and Mr Bryce, who has had some experience in native affairs, and acted with a vigour and honesty peculiarly his own, can again bring his knowledge to bear in shaping what little remains to be done in matters connected with Maori legislation* It was chiefly owing to his exertions as Native Minister that the King movement was finally broken down, and the King Country thrown open for railway extension and Native Land Court investigations.

Our contemporary says that Mr Brycc owed his defeat for Waitotara because of his inattention to purely local affairs. If that is true, it reflects no credit on the political intelligence or public spirit of that constituency. Though the Star may deem it a crime, we regard it as a stronger reason for electing Mr Bryce, a proof of his disinterestedness, and that he is the man the colony wants. It was never intended that Parliament should apply itself to parish business. In its purest integrity Parliament was intended to be an assembly of the wisest men elected from the body of people and met together to provide measures for the protection of the nation, and, generally, to promote the well-being of the entire common-wealth. The municipal form of government and creation of parishes, from the earliest times, were the parts of the national system to whom were relegated the charge of all local affairs. It is only in more modern times that the character of Parliament has changed and become corrupted by the encroachments of class interests which involved it in the intricacies of local matters. In England and in the colonies strong efforts are being made to free the national Parliaments from these encumbrances and to leave all local affairs, pure and simple, to the proper authorities interested in, and affected by, them. The Star thinks Mr Bryce is best suited for a city constituency. If the Star objects to Mr Bryce, who is a country settler, representing a country constituency, because, as it alleges, he is not connected with the district and cannot be in sympathy with its local wants, how, by all that is logical, can it consider hiui a fit representative for a distant city, with which he would be neither connected nor supposed to know its peculiar local wants ? In conclusion, we will add that Mr Bryce can be depended upon to give a statesmanlike exposition of his opinions on leading public questions when be finds, by the requisition that will be forwarded to him, that the electors are sincere in desiring him for a representative.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT18891015.2.10

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2693, 15 October 1889, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,262

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1889. Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2693, 15 October 1889, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1889. Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2693, 15 October 1889, Page 2

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