The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. THURSDAY, OCT. 1, 1801.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2998, 1 October 1891, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

THURSDAY, OCT. 1, 1801.

Equal and lusticu to all rai»n, Oi'whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

All rumours us to probable candidates wen; laid to rest on Monday, anil tin; doctors of Waikato have now calmly to consider as to whether Mr Lake or Mr Murray is the more suitable candidate for their suffrages. Tt is the of some men to have great ess thrust upon them ; others discover for them their fitness for posts of humour, they being endowed with the modesty which is charaeteiisfie of greatness, having often grave doubts us to (.heir suitability for the position to which their admirers would elevate them. Olher men are so constituted that they consider themselves fitted for any position from that of Prime Minister of Great Britain to that of representing a rural constituency in a local Parliament. Unfortunately for the latter class, those who have gifts in store frequently fail to value theui at their own appraisment. The two candidates for election are fair examples of the two classes. Mr Lake only came forward at the earnest solicitation of those who t'rom previous experience believed that he was the available man best calculated to represent the Waikato. Mr Murray appears to have come out entirely on his own motion. He has now resided for some years in ihe district, and has never yet succeeded in inducing his follow settlers to elect him to any public position,so that his iittn'ss has never Knui tested at this end of the colony, and the electors are asked to return him, in the lirst place, because lie was once member for .Bruce, and in the second on the strength of the t litli which is in him as exemplified by his addresses. OE this we shall have something to say presently. Mr Lake, on the other hand, has linicl several public positions in the district, ;u:d has represented it in Parliament. lie can, therefore, he judged both by deeds and public declarations of opinion ion on the existing political position. Characteristic modesty, and ability to grasp tho position has led him to promise to support with all las power the party in opposition to the pmsout Government. He does not pretend to L'-reater ability ana political tact iban is at tho command of the loaders of tho party pledged to mortify revolutionary legislation, so fiii' as a minority can, pending the ;iwakv.uing' oi' the country to 'no •mevous. tais'ako mate at the last general cloeti.or. Mr .Murray on the other hand, iiu.s expressed himself as determined to keep aloof front either tbo const, tutional or revolutionary party. 110 jjas .condemned in round toi'inn tho policy of tho In tier, but lias rofuned to pledge himself to bccotuo a loyo.l Ujcmibsr of tho former organisations, whose mission it is to thwart the suicidal policy of tho Government whirli he condemn.:, _ Logically thero is only one in tho Jlouso for which, by ,ci vast strotch of tho imagination Ai l' MtU'my ia fitted—leader of the Oppcsi-

tiou. As ;i nuicii (light ol' is noofs.sury Jo canso in !ii f in flic j)o?sil>ilit.y ut' this, it

i : , to:- tho r;i.ctor>i to cinsiilor wlieilv'r tlic-y would not bo doing' both tli-nmolvi.-s and Mr -Murray harm by sending him to Parliaiuon!.. Mg i.s (ividonily too small 'ai li'ad and, in his own ostimation, too to ho led. AVlli'.t pla:;u ;n politics is tlioro for a mail of this rali'oro '? Wearo not prepared to follow l iilior t:andidales tlirough their aiMn.'sses, many of tlio opinions expi't'ssod hy Mr Murray wo liourtily endorse; wo cannot howevor, help calling attention to the fact that that gontloiuan has a fad or two to add lo tho long list of thoso which arc suriously injuring the colony, fio long as tho candidate eotilined himself to following chc opinions of others ho has kept himsolf tolerably clear from risk of damaging criticism, but unfortunately whatever reputation ho may havo had as a sound politician ho lias evidenced sonic originality, or it would be more correct to write, as was writtou of Lord E. Churchill, ho has unconsciously adopted the ideas of other peoplo and congratulated himself on his originality. Tho proposal that the Imperial Government should take over the colonial debt and issue consols at a low rate oE interest as its substitute is by no means original and is still more wanting in common sonse, as lias been explained times out of number. Is it within the range of probability that any English statesman would introduce such a measure to the House of Commons ? "England has handed over tho country to tho people, the people have borrowed on the strength of that security and no Minister would ask the Imperial legislation to render the taxpayers of tho Old Country liablo for principal and interest. He certainly would not do this unless ho introduced a measure simultaneously to take control of affairs out of oui* hands. llow would those few electors who purpose voting for Mr Murray like this '? Another financial proposal of his is, if not equally impracticable, certainly more unpalatable to the people of this colony. Mr Murray suggests that the Government should issue Treasury notes to pay tho debts of local bodies. The most crying evil for years lias been the centralisation of all government in Wellington and much legislation, since the abolition of the Provinces, has been to counteract this mistake. If this colony took over the debts Parliament would unquestionably insist upon all power of taxation vesting in that body. This would l<ie a death blow to local self-govornoient. All money would pass through the Colonial Treasury to bo disposed of as Parliament might direct; otherwise, to our mind, financial chaos would inevitably result. Wo have not space, neither is it necessary, to criticise the opinions of Mr Lake. A running commentary of approval could serve no good end. The reports of his speeches have been printed, and the majority of electors have, or will have had before tho Gth inst., an opportunity of hearing them from his own mouth. In former issues wo have expressed our opinion as to which candidate is the more eligible. Mr Lake has fixed opinions, and is alive at this juncture to the absolute nocessity for party loyalty. Self preservation demands from every land-owner or laud-cultivator that tho Ballance party shall be ousted from power at tho earliest possible moment, Mr Lake appreciates this fact, mid promises unswerving loyalty to the Opposition loader. Ilia opponent halts between to opinions, aud, as we havo pointed out, is too selfsulliuicut to bo guided by thoso wiser than himsolf. He has not proved himself by teuuro of public positions a man gifted with ability above his fellows—a neces ■sity in a Parliamentary representative. Mr L ike has done this. On the grounds we have stated above, we do not hesitate to call upon the electors to elect Mr Lake. His return is as near a certainty as anything can be except death ; but notwithstanding this, any elector who holds his opinions and does not give force to them at the ballot-box will b« guilty of an act of disloyalty, both to himself and the candidate. We agree, with Mr Shepherd in thinking that it is a pity that Mr Murray is in the field. His opinions, aside from the fads which we have called attention to, are not sufficiently divergent from those of Mr Lake, we will not say to justify his coming out, but they are certainly not sufficient to justify his remaining in the field and putting electors to the inconvenience and the country to the expense of a contested election. That he shoulfl be the one to retire is unquestionable. Mr Lake was brought out at a meeting called to select a candidate before Mr Murray announced that he had selected himself. We trust that the electors of Waikato will remember that the eyes of the colony are upon them. No Government candidate has been brought out, but a gentleman has brought himself out who admits that ho is tainted with some of the Government fads in addition to those which are peculiarly his own.