THE CAMPAIGN OF CALUMNY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1378, 2 March 1912, Page 3

THE CAMPAIGN OF CALUMNY.

Sir—On Wednesday I read in a Government paper a list of charges brought by you against tho Ward Government, aiid'a statement that Sir Joseph -Ward intended to resign. Tin same night I dreamed I was in a Law Court and no fewer than eighty J.P.'s were on the Dench. The prisoner, who was accused of stealing twopence from a little girl, was asked what ho had to say for himself, as tho Dench was equally divided, lie replied that ho never had a fair chance; in January the polico' accused him of stealing fowls, iii February of selling his master s oats, and so on. The Bench asked jf theso charges were proved, and the prisoner replied .that ho was the victim of a campaign of calumny, lie never took the twopence, but was prepared to plead guilty if they would let him go homo and spend it. The Bench agreed to this, and when 1 woke up it occurred to me that if 'you print certain charges for youi' readers, and Government organs reprint them for the benefit of those who don't read your articles, wo shall soon havo quite irreproachable legislators.. There is a great deal in the papular saying,that where there is smoke there is fire, and that Caesar's wife must be' above suspicion. Also much/ in what the negro said: "I don't say the fox took my hens, but I saw feathers on his nose." It.is admitted by grave historians that pupular rumour (scandal, if you like) really enables us to gauge a man's character. Tho present Radical Government in England is hated by the party who correspond thero to the Massey party here, but tho "scandal" about them is of a different sort. And look at tho King. A "scandal" was set on foot. Instead of getting a special Act passed to stop it, and then doing nothing, he sued tho man and had him punished in open Court. I rather admire that sort of thing.—l am, etc., GIMLET.