The Waikato Times. AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1892.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3106, 11 June 1892, Page 2

The Waikato Times. AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1892.

F.qual and exact justice to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

The first general quarterly meeting of the National Association was held in Auckland on Wednesday. The chairman in his opening address congratulated the meeting on the fact. He was singularly silent as to the work which the Association had accomplished during its short term of existence. It is well that he took the opportunity of explaining that although the Association had distributed Dr. Kilgour's pamphlet advocating the sale of the railways it did not as a body assent to the proposition. In future only literature written for the Association will be dealt with in a similar manner. When is this promised literature to be circulated and from whose pens is it to emanate ? It is to be sincerely hoped not from that of the members, who, judging by their effusions published in the columns of our morning contemporary, are incapable of expressing themselves with sufficient clearness to make the slightest impression upon the gpne.ral public. There has been a sad waste of pen, ink, paper and space. In an academic sense it is to be regretted that Dr. Davey's indisposition prevented his treating the question as to whether politics as now preached could in any sense be considered a science. An excellent theme for a debating Society but scarcely calculated to forward the objects for which the Association exists. It is very little that the great majority of voters care whether politics as they exist are or are not based upon scientific principles. What they want is to have pointed out to them the merits and demerits of existing and proposed measures. This must be done with a keen appreciation of the truth of the axiom as to the close relationship between brevity and wit. When the Association has done this, those they have undertaken to educate will look to them for guidance as to the practical means to be adopted, to abolish, forward or oppose, as the case may be. Mr Ewington took up some of the time of the meeting in explaining that what was wanted were capable and honourable men returned to Parliament. This was pure waste of time as the thickest head on the shoulders of an elector has grasped that fact long ago. There is something practical, however, in the suggestion that the executive shall be, the modern compound Diogenes to ferret out and bring to the front latent honesty combined with ability in the same individual. When found, Mr Ewington suggests that all affiliated with the Association shall loyally support the ideal men he has depicted. He is right as to principle, although he adopted a rather high flown style of enforcing it, and has implied a promise on behalf of the executive which it is doubtful if they will be able to fuffil. If a body of electors are to aid a policy they believe in they must support one man holding their views and not allow any splitting of votes. The selection of the particular man must vest in some body having their confidence. The National Association must become much more active and practical, more of a political association with practical ideas, and less of a debating club, before there can be the remotest hope that the confidence they ask will be placed in their executive. To Sir Wm, Fox is to be credited tne only speech delivered at the meetingcalculated to have any effect upon public opinion. He pointed out that the principle of one-man-one-vote, which is popularly supposed to prevail in New Zealand, does so only in a degree, as each elector of the four principal centres has three, owing to the amalgamation of the three electorates to which population entitles them. He gives some figures illustrative of his assertion, they are interesting and we will quote them. Auckland had at the time of the last election 6788 voters on the roll, and they recorded 9475 votes; Wellington with 8786 recorded 15,816; Christchurch with 8406 polled 11,706; Dunedin with 9126 recorded 15,134 votes. The total of votes being 52,131 by 33,106 electors, On a previous occasion we pointed out the injustice to the rest of the country of this state of affairs. The National Association cannot find a more palpable case calling for the exercise of the power which combination gives them. This should be made a test question for every country candidate at the next election. So palbable is the injustice that any candidate who will not pledge himself to do away with the existing inequality of power should be rejected by those who are its victims. Let us not be understood to be antagonistic to ihe platform of the National Association; so far from this being the case we thoroughly endorse it, but at the same time feel regret that it has not a little more colour and backbone, as we believe that if these two qualities were more apparent it would secure more loyal adherents than it is likely to do as constituted. More work and less talk would add to its power and not in the least detract from the reputation of those who do most of the speech making, mainly for the edification of their brother members and themselves.