WESTMORLAND ELECTION.

Newspaper
Year
1883
Month
10
Day
10
Article Title
WESTMORLAND ELECTION.
Page Number
2
Article Type
Language
Article Contents
Messrs. A.E. Killam, W.W. Wells and Dr. Gaudet were nominated on Saturday for the vacant seat in Westmorland. Each of the candidates addressed the electors. Mr. Killam, as is characteristic of him, clearly defined his potion in a speech that did credit to his ability and honesty. He confined himself to the question at issue. He left no one in doubt as to the course he would pursue. He approved of the policy of the Blair Government, and would give it his cordial support. Mr. Wells spoke with warmth, claiming that the issue was between Liberal and Conservative. He attacked Mr. Killam, and the Government for dismissing him from the position of Clerk of the Court. He promised to support the Blair reforms, as he called them. He further volunteered to retire if Mr. Killam would do likewise, in order that Dr. Gaudet might be allowed to walk the course, as he considered the French Acadians entitled to a representative. He thought the seat by right, belonged to that nationality. Dr. Gaudet made a few remarks explaining the condition of his candidature. If required to contest the County he would resign. He retires. It will be seen that Mr. Killam and Dr. Gaudet had only one course to pursue, and they told the electors without any hesitation and without any attempt at concealment what that was. Mr. Well’s speech carries inconsistency on the very face of it. Perhaps he was sincere in his attack on Mr. Killam, in this case he probably spoke as he felt, but personal attack, though it gratify petty minds, will not be accepted by intelligent electors as a substitute for principle. From an attack on Mr. Killam, Mr. Wells makes an attack on the Government, which Mr. Killam announced he would support. But in this case too, it was purely a personal matter. The Government had seen fit to transfer the duties with which Mr. Wells had been entrusted to another. It was not unnatural to expect Mr. Wells, under the circumstances, to condemn the Government. Some men are very prone to justify themselves at the expense of others. Mr. Wells must show that he was immaculate, and that the Government was sadly astray in turning him out. But, what follows after this attack? Mr. Wells immediately pledges himself to support the “Blair reforms.” This is very magnanimous! This is the right kind of spirit to possess. It is a pity that this principle of blessing those that persecute is not practised by many more besides Mr. Wells. The wording of Mr. Well’s pledge however, leaves it open to him to support or oppose the Government. Any measure that is not in his estimation a Blair reform would be likely to meet with his opposition. Mr. Wells is quite safe in making such a pledge. It lays him under no obligation whatsoever, nor did he attend that it should. The real motive was to catch votes. He knew that the Government was popular in the county, and that any threat to oppose it would inevitably lead to his defeat. It is not likely that Mr. Well’s pledge will deceive anyone, it is too evident that he is at bottom an opponent of the Government. We would have had much more respect for him had he shown the manliness of Mr. Killam in distinctly stating his position, and dealing exclusively with the question at issue. But Mr. Well’s good services are not yet exhausted. He is a man of large heart and can afford to be generous beyond the measure of ordinary men. He proposed to resign in favor of Dr. Gaudet. Noble sacrifice. But since he offered to do so, it would only be right that Mr. Killam should do the same, so that the Acadians might have what they were entitled to. Much against his wish and his thought, Mr. Killam astonished him by offering to do so. He did not expect, he did not want Mr. Killam to do this. He only expected by this artifice to catch French votes. His conduct is before the electors, and if they can overlook his gross inconsistencies we shall be much surprised. At latest notice, we learn that Mr. Killam’s prospects are placed beyond doubt, that Mr. Wells’ tortuous course has alienated even many of his friends.