THE BRUCE ELECTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3091, 7 May 1892, Page 2

THE BRUCE ELECTION.

RkI'ICIUUNG to the Bruce election the Dunedin Daily Times says : — Tames Aliens political career will hereafter be with two of the hardest fought election contests the colony has witnessed. His memorable fight with Sir R. Stout in Dunedin East in 18S7 will be ever remembered in political annals. On that occasion he defeated the Premier of the colony. On the field of Bruce in 18!)2 he has completely eclipsed his former victory, for ho has defeated the Ministry. Mr Allen's return cannot bo regarded as anything else than the triumph of right over might. The two prominent and aggressive members of the Ministry who have during the contest besieged the Bruce electors with their heavy artillery of platform orations, have learned that tactics successfully pursued at Wellington on a recent occasion are utterly distasteful to Southern constituencies. The Bruce electors have distinctly rofused to sacrifice their sound and independent judgment of the merits of the two candidates at the call of interfering Ministers. Quite independently of the fact that they have chosen by an overwhelming majority as their member the man best calculated to serve their interests, to represent them in a fearless and independent manner, and to do honour to their choice, they have rendered the colony a profound service. They have administered a check to that pernicious system of meddlesome interference in elections by the Ministry such as cannot be ignored. The action of the Minister for Lands and the Minister for Public Works in then' determined efforts to force Mr Lee Smith on a constituency which did not want him has recoiled on their own heads with a vengeance, and it may reasonably be expected that the colony will no longer be made the shamed witness of such undignified proceedings a,s Ministers have resorted to iu this election. We congratulate the Bruce electorate, and we no less warmly congratulate the colony on Mr Allen's return to active political life. Among the side lights of the election may be noted] the inefficacy of the block vote of the Roman Catholic electors, which it was alleged 'tlio defeated candidate was to receive. We have never had much faith in this block vote,and do not believe it is ever cast. The result of the Bruco election corroborates the view we have entertained that, if ever there was a time at which it might be supposed the Catholic block vote would be exercised, that time is the present; for Dr. Moran has of late been particularly active in his appeal to Catholic electors to I utterly disregard all other good qualities in a candidata if he failed to pledge himself f o support the claim of the Roman Catholic Church to a share in the education vote. The voting in the Bruce election seems to indicate that the appeals of the Bishop are disregarded, and that the Catholic voters are as fully alive to their electoral privileges, and to the necessity of returning as their member the candidate whose views on general political subjects accord with their own, as their fellow electors of other denominations. If that be not so, and the Catholic block vote is represented in the 528 electors who voted for Mr Lee Smith, then the condemnation of the present Ministry's policy and of their tactics in the election is all the more pronounced." (BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Dunedin, Thursday. Mr James Allen, the newly-elected member for Bruce, received a reception on returning to town this evening, a large crowd cheering hiin. Ha was carried shoulder high to his carriage.