MR. BATHGATE’S “CHALLENGE.”

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2643, 7 August 1871, Page 2

MR. BATHGATE’S “CHALLENGE.”

To the Editor, Sir, —I notice fiom your last issue that Mr John Bathgate complains of certain “secret misrepresentations and calumnies” being circulated by his enemies against him. lam utterly ‘ignorant of the fact. But lam not ignorant of the fact—patent as the sun at noon—that no independent and intelligent elector, now at least, believes in that pseudo* patriot. His career in the Council has been a sad failure in everything save that of worming himself into a cosy billet in the Solicitorship. He belongs to a Government all whose portfolied members will disappear in a few days from their posts, and be absent for three months at Wellington, while all the time they will be drawing their salaries here, and honora iums yonder. The design of calling a meeting by flourish of trumpets is, transparent. Our hero would have an ovation ere leaving for the Colonial metropolis, where he will be prating “of a power behind the throne” detrimental to the weal of the Otago Government and their supporters. He is a politician of the ad captahdum vuUjm sort. I do trust he will meet with a hot reception from, every man who would abolish -Provincialism ns an expensive and disgraceful farce of Stale, Says our hero—“ It is 3 sure sign of a man’s political rectitude when he has bitter political .enemies who.resort-to every means, fair and foul, to wealtcu his position and influence.” However true this sage axiom may be, it is manifestly inapplicable on the present occasion. Our would-be village statesman has been often weighed in the balance, and always found wanting. Less chaff, fewer stale anecdotes, and more manifestations of wise statesmanship, are what Otago generally, and notably Uunedin, want at the forthcoming session. Men of the 19s llfd policy arc the bane of any State, Let the electors open their eyes, and not •be duped into giving an ovation to timeservers, bullet them fling away both “the throne ” and the claqueurs judiciously scattered throughout the hall, into, the limbo of oblivion. Up, Guards, and at them 1 Yours, &c., J. G. S, Grant. August 5, 1871.