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The Evening Star TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1871.

If we cannot give Mr H. S Fisii, Junior, credit for wisdom, at any rate lie lias proved himself no coward. In his letter to the Daily Times this morning, he has given one more illustration that a certain class of men who shall be nameless “ dare to rush where “ angels fear to tread.” He would have been much more in the line of his duty, as Mayor of this City, if he had left to others the task of leading the forlorn hope, instead of taking upon himself to attempt’to defend .an

indefensible cause. We see no reason why the word of Mr Sievwrigiit, backed by that of Mr Fish, should carry conviction against that of Mr Dick, whose letter to Mr Driver appeared in Saturday’s issue of the Star. Mr Fish has much to learn before his wavering judgment carries the weight with it that the word of a chief citizen ought to carry. He must learn to separate social from sins which he seems incapable ol doing. We do not look upon the placard which we condemn in the light of a political move so much as a social crime ; and we take it, that one of the redeeming features in the matter is, that the Chairman of Mr .Reids Committee and Mr Fish feel ashamed of the inevitable inference from _ Mr Dick’s letter, that the Committee authorised the publication of the placard. Whether they were or were not as ignorant of the intended slander as they affirm, they were members of a Committee whose Secretary gave the copy of the letter to Mr Dick’s agent, to be printed at Mr Dick’s printing office. With the exception of Mr SIEVWRIGHT, whose letter proclaims him Chairman of Mr Reid’s Committee, we did not know a single naine on that Committee until Mr H. & Fish announced himself as a member. Our condemnation of the proceeding was not based on any political feeling. There are considerations far highci than political partisanship that ought to guide men in their conduct towaids each other ; and no matter what party stooped to a coarse such as was taken to bring Mr Driver and Mr Ma< Andrew into contempt, verv act ought to lead every man of right feeling to mark his sense of its dishonor, by refusing to support the cause attempted to be forwarded by it. We hold this to he a social duty aiising out of the relation of man to man-a duty every honest man owes to his neighbor, and by which alone he can erect a safeguard to his own honor and reputation. Courts of law may punish individuals, but the damage must first be done. True security rests on public opinion founded upon a high sense of duty. Without this no man is safe. Let it be understood that the electors will not support a cause sought to be established by wrong practices, and they will never be resorted to. Mr Fish, in his foolish letter* to the Times, takes the responsibility of having been concerned in the doings of Mr Reid’s Committee, by having been present at almost every meeting for the last fortnight. He says nothing of what passed before that time. No doubt the Mayor, as a private citizen, may, if he choose, be a “ rabid ” politician, to use his own word ; but we toll him candidly that as a Mayor ought to be above all party, wo think he ought to have left the evolution of rabidness to those from whom less is expected. And now that this sad affair has occurred, we hope ho feels it, for men who arc not mayors reason thus-wise : There was such method in the issue ot the libellous placard, it was so timed amt contrived, that it is plain there must have been well-considered preparation for it. Although the Chairman and Mr Fish disclaim all know ledge of the order to issue this placard, it was done by the Secretary of the Committee. The Secretary of the Committee, as the actuary, is one'of the most important members of it, but is not likely to have done anything on his own personal responsibility. As a paid member of that Committee, he is not likely to do anything calculated to implicate him in proceedings open to criminal prosecution. The Secretaiy of the Committee is a well-known, shrewd, and well-educated man. He cannot be supposed to have been ignorant of what he was doing, and therefore he was the less likely to act without authority. Now', unless Mr Fish and Mr Sievwrigiit are prepared to say that the Secretary gave Mr Dick orders to print that placard on his own personal responsibility, without a single member of the Committee knowing anything about it, that he alone is to pay the cost of it, and that Mr Dick had his orders to charge him with the cost of printing it, that out of hi.s own means lie paid the carriage of the parcels scut up the country by coach on the Monday morning, neither the editor of the Kvenituj Star nor any thinking man can credit the monstrous nonsense of the Committee being innocent of authorising it. With such clear circumstantial evidence before him implicating individuals in a transaction, were Mr Fish on the bench, to pronounce a verdict of “not guilty” upon them, his chance for re-election to the office of Mayor would be small indeed. We confess we feel disappointed in Mr Fish. Whatever differences of political opinion existed, we thought at ono time he would Lave proved himself equal to the office to which he has been elected, and were fully prepared to support him in it. From w hat cause we do not know, he has been led into such gross political inconsistencies that his judgment can-

not be relied on, and as a coup tie grace to his public mistakes, he has without cause put himself forward iu defence ot those whom, until satisfactory evidence is "iven to the contrary, we must peisist in considering responsible for that of which he acknowledges himself ashamed. It is not our way to deal harshly with men in authority. _ We sympathise with them in theii ditlieu.lt positions; but if they put themselves out of the way to commence an unwarrantable attack, as he has done, they must take the conscipiences.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18710214.2.9

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2495, 14 February 1871, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,068

The Evening Star TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1871. Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2495, 14 February 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1871. Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2495, 14 February 1871, Page 2

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