Westmorland Liberal Convention

Year
1891
Month
2
Day
10
Article Title
Westmorland Liberal Convention
Author
------
Page Number
2
Article Type
Language
Article Contents
WESTMORLAND LIBERAL CONVENTION. A convention will be held at Robb’s Hall, Dorchester, at 1:30 p.m, on Tuesday, February 17, to nominate a candidate to contest the County of Westmorland, for the House of Commons, in the interest of Liberal and Unrestricted Reciprocity principles. Presidents of the Parish Liberal Associations are urged at once to call their associations together, and nominate delegates to the convention in the proportion of one delegate to each two hundred electors in the Parish. F.A. McCully, Secretary, J.J. Anderson, President W. Co. Liberal Association. Mr. Melanson’s Position. Mr. Melanson will go down in history as the rival of the Vicar of Bray, whose capacity for being on many sides was unrivalled in his day. Me. Melanson has within ten days succeeded in presenting himself in various quarters as a ministerialist, an oppositionist and an independent; but in his last role he has destroyed whatever chance of being useful to his constituents he possessed. * * * Our esteemed contemporary is angry and accuses Messrs. Emmerson and Hawke of deceiving Mr. Melanson, and indulges in other absurd insinuations and charges of kindred nature. Mr. Melanson’s charge is too absurd to be seriously discussed and our contemporary’s ravings do not come from a source to which anyone should attach the slightest credence. There was no deception in the matter of the resolution, nor has there been any breach of confidence. The facts are these. A circular was issued calling a convention of local government supporters for organization purposes. As Mr. Melanson had of his own free will attended the government caucasus at Fredericton, and was dispensing government patronage in Westmorland county, a circular was sent to him. He came and took part in the proceeding. When the resolution committee reported, it was openly suggested that as an act of courtesy the honor of moving the motion expressing confidence in Mr. Blair’s government should be delegated to Mr. Melanson. That gentlemen accepted the duty and felt so flattered at the honor, he made quite a lengthy eulogistic speech setting forth the merits of the Blair administration. Where then, was there any deception? Deception there was not; duplicity there may have been, but the duplicity was on Mr. Melanson’s part. At the convention one delegate was right and all the others were wrong. Mr. Tilman Landry rose and when Mr. Melanson moved his famous resolution; he indignantly accused Mr. Melanson of being a traitor – as one who could not be trusted – and who would betray the local government cause if he could. Mr. Melanson made no reply and the other delegates were angry at Mr. Tilman Landry’s course; but it is freely admitted to-day that Mr. Landry was right and the other delegates were wrong in siding with Mr. Melanson against him. Were then under these circumstances and with this unpleasant scene now made public for the first time could there have been any deception, on the part of anyone save Mr. Melanson? The attack made upon Mr. Hawke by Mr. Melanson is not heeded much. The truth is that a year ago, when Mr. Melanson came to Moncton as a member of the coalition ticket he called upon the editor of this journal and voluntarily intimated that although a number of the coalition ticket and represented as an independent, he would support the government. When we asked if that fact had better be stated, Mr. Melanson said in effect, “Oh, no! Keep that in the background, because I want to get opposition votes as well as government votes, but I will vote for the government.” This journal gave him a hearty and generous support. Mr. Melanson also pledged himself to the same effect to Mr. Killam. The course of Mr. Melanson is an outrage upon the dignity of the Acadian electors. It is simply a declaration by Mr. Melanson, that the Acadian electors must bow to the snap of Mr. Melanson’s whip! But, they will not do it! There is too much sturdy independence among them to be either [illegible] or bullied into following Mr. Melanson in his many twistings. At Cape Bauld, a few days ago, he told the electors it was useless to elect opposition members; at Port Elgin, in the presence of Mr. Blair, the railway delegation, the two candidates and of the editor of the journal, he pledged himself to strict neutrality in this contest, and gave as a sole reason for doing so, his alleged independent position. What brought about the change? The reason assigned by Mr. Melanson is too childish and absurd to be accepted; it has rendered him ridiculous in the public’s eye. His course, too, is regrettable as he has betrayed the interests of the North Shore Railway projects; and more than that placed himself in such a position as to lesson his ability to do material service to the Acadian electors. The effect of his attempt however, to set himself up as a political boss, and to aim at transferring this county politically from one side to the other, will be a failure. Mr. Melanson is not a big enough politician to play the role of king maker. The electors, both Acadian and English can do their own political thinking without Mr. Melanson pointing the way. The hour has come for Westmorland County to put an end to political bossism, and to affirm the principle that no one politician owns this county. MELANSON’S INCONSISTENCY HE IS AN INDEPENDENT, AN OPPOSITIONIST AND A MINISTERIALIST WITHIN TEN DAYS. EDITOR TRANSCRIPT. – Mr. Melanson is, at the present time, not in a very enviable position. I speak as one knowing what he has said in Cape Bauld as well as Dorchester, and every man who was present at both his speeches can uphold me in what I say. In the meeting held at Cape Bauld, for the purpose of choosing delegates to meet the Hon. Mr. Blair, Mr. Melanson, when called upon to speak, distinctly said (and I defy him to contradict it) that if they desired their railroad, there was no use in sending members in opposition to the government; but to return Killam and Mr .Queen. Mr. Melanson then held the confidence of his people. Does he now! How can he? Can a man who is a supporter of the Blair Administration, an Independent, and in opposition to the Blair Administration and all in a fortnight and hold the confidence of the French people, or any other people? What induced him to proclaim himself? He gives as a reason that he was deceived in that celebrated resolution. Why if Mr. Melanson has a faculty by which he can recall past events, he will remember that he moved this resolution months ago, and it only now strikes him that he is deceived. Did he think he was deceived when he spoke at the Cape Bauld meeting? Yet, that was only ten days ago. But, in the name of common sense, how can a man be deceived in a resolution after he has moved it and spoken on it for over an hour? If he perceived any double-dealings, any subterfuge in this resolution, was it not his place to decline? Was he so timid that he could not refuse? If so, we are better without him – away with the man who has not sufficient consistency, self-will or control of himself to remain for the short space of two weeks either independent, oppositionist or government supporter. Yet, let him not think that he thus hurts the government ticket; now he is fighting where we can see him and where he can be answered. No man was ever elected with greater prospects – no man ever so ignominiously lost the confidence of a people. “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these, it might have been.” An Acadian.