a prominent part in securing the return of Mr. Seymour Thorne George, a nephew of Sir George Grey. Mr. Thorne George decided to contest the Rodney constituency in 1879, and this left the Hokitika seat vacant as far as a recognised follower of Sir George Grey was concerned. Mr. Seddon was chairman of the Kumara Liberal Committee, which was divided over the choice of a candidate, and, to settle the difference, he asked the Liberal chief what course should be taken. To the surprise of all members of the Committee, including Mr. Seddon himself, the reply was: “You are worthy; stand yourself.” The invitation was accepted, and Mr. Seddon was announced as one of the Liberal candidates.
The electoral district included Kumara as well as Hokitika, and was large and unwieldy. In one respect, however, it possessed few of the distracting difficulties that often beset Parliamentary candidates. The miners’ vote was the principal one, and the mining industry was practically the only one that had to be considered.
The names of the candidates as they appeared on the ballot paper were:—
Barff, E.
Cumming R.
Dungan, P.
Reid, R. C.
Seddon, R. J.
They were all classed as “Greyhounds,” as Sir George Grey’s young followers were called, except Mr. Barff, who was a sitting member and a follower of Sir Harry Atkinson. He was an experienced miners’ representative, but a ponderous speaker. It is said by those who heard him that he “was sometimes so prosy as to be a weariness to the flesh.” Mr. Cumming was an Irishman, with all the brightness and gaiety generally associated with men of his country. Mr. Dungan, another Irishman, was “a good fellow, a genial man, and a miner.” Mr. Reid was a popular and influential journalist.
Feeling in favour of Sir George Grey was so strong in the district that there was little hope of the Conservative candidate securing a leading place. The people generally favoured the
