A PROTEST IN THE INTEREST OF FAIR PLAY.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 53, 31 August 1896, Page 2

A PROTEST IN THE INTEREST OF FAIR PLAY.

TO THE EDITOB. Si B( — I am not a resident of Feildmg, but was passing through last night and turned into the Assembly Rooms to hear Mr Bagnall, champion of the liquor trade. I heard Mr Bagnall refer to Mr Cocker in an ungentlemanly way on several occasions during the course of his address, which references appeared to me as being a challenge to Mr Cocker personally. Mr Cocker certainly had the privilege of asking questions after Mr Bagnall's address, but when he wished to reply to Mr Bagnall in proper order, after the amendment bad been proposed and seconded, he was not allowed to do so, though he informed the meeting that be bad prepared an address in reply. Now, sir, I think this was most unfair % and showed a very weak cause for the opponents of Prohibition, and especially so when Mr Cocker secured a hearing for one of Mr Bagnall's friends when it seemed likely that otherwise he would not bave been heard. The impression your correspondent formed in the meeting was that Mr Bagnall thought he was getting tbe worst of tbe matter and felt rather uncomfortable after some of the questions Mr Cocker had put to him ; and as be could not very well ask bis supporters to aid him against the reverend gentleman, he thought the next best thing to do was to get them to stop the fight by holding Mr Cocker down, A further impression was that the Prohibition party had the best of the meeting, notwithstanding the vote, which would, possibly, have been somewhat changed bad Mr Cocker been allowed to speak. I am, kc, Faibplat. Feilding, August 29, 1896.