THE COMING ELECTIONS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3245, 24 November 1881, Page 2

THE COMING ELECTIONS.

[To the Editor oe the Daily Telegraph.] Sir, —There is an old book which, speaking of a certain class of men, says, " Their strength ia to sit still." Oh that your correspondent " Squint" would read, mark, learn,'and inwardly digest the force of this statement. Surely if ever the man lived who by a " wise and masterly inactivity" was calculated to push on the work he had at heart then most assuredly that man is your correspondent. By what process . of logic he has arrived at the conclusion that I was "wroth over his letter of the 15th instant" I cannot imagine, nor do I think that my reply will have conveyed that impression to any one else. What 1 wanted then, and what I want now, is the plain unvarnished truth. There is no profit in controversy with a gentlemen who does not seem to see the questions he has to deal with, and who prefers fanciful allegations, and misleading assumptions to a plain statement of facts. loan understand an honest political opponeut, and I like a man all the better for stating his views fearlessly, providing there is a manifest desire to tell tbe truth, but what I cannot understand is why a gentleman of " Squint's" standing and position should stoop to calumniate and misrepresent a man simply because he cannot pronounce his " Shibboleth." Sir, when a cause has to be buttressed by such a system of political mudthrowing then the sooner it is relegated to the limbo of oblivion the better for all concerned. In his latest " Squint" throws down the gauntlet and publicly challenges me to contradict the charges made in his first letter. In my reply to that literary curiosity I stated that your

correspondent had waded through sixtyseven lines of printed matter without ever making a charge at all, nor was it till after that limit had beeu passed that we got something tangible to deal with, namely, the " breakwater." . Sir, I accept the challenge. I appeal to the / bar of public opinion, and am perfectly satisfied to leave the issue with the electors of Napier. I complain, first of i all, that " Squint" begged the question by presuming that " the terras of Mr 6oodaH'B offer were known." I hope that each elector who cares to read this will stop and ask himself whether that statement is in accordance with " fact." It is here the whole question hinges. I am not certain that I know the nature of those terms myself, but believe tbem to be something as follows: Mr Goodall to receive one hundred pounds for his professional services, his travelling expenses to be paid, and 2J per cent on the amount of the contract if his plans be accepted. After some discussion it was pointed out by a member of the meeting that it would be unwise to accept those conditions and bind themselves to the 2£ per cent; what they wanted was sisnply Mr Goodall's advice as a professional man, accompanied by a plan embodying his proposals, for which they were willing to pay liberally, and thus leave the engineer's commission an open question. So warm was the discussion that some present who were in favour of the above modification left the meeting, and by so doing a larger majority was obtained in favor of the proposition. " That Mr Goodall's offer (pure and simple) be accepted." And this forsooth is " burking the breakwater." What next, aasd next! I have been at some trouble to get at the bottom of this wretched affair, and may here inform your readers that the above information was volunteered to me by a gentleman present at the meeting, and who at every election has consistently opposed Mr Buchanan's return. I hope that such letters as those of" Squint" will give that gentleman to see the " error of his ways," and lead him to throw in his lot with his late opponent. Such, Mr Editor, I believe to be the facts of the case, to which I might be permitted to add that the convener'! of that meeting was John Buchanan. In conclusion allow me to say that " Squint " seems singularly prone to mistakes. lam afraid he is not well posted in politics. > Hood's critic prepared himself for his * work by cutting the leaves of the books be had to review, and smelling the paper knife. It must be through an inspiration of that kind that " Squint " speaks of Mr Buchanan; the odour of the paper knife is distinctly traceable. Apologizing for trespassing so largely on your space. —I am, &., Thomas Laws. November 24, 1881.