MR AYERS AND THE MAYORALTY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2058, 28 September 1880, Page 3

MR AYERS AND THE MAYORALTY.

To the Editor of the Globe. Sib, —Your leader headed " Mr Ayerjs and the Mayoralty" appears, containing an attack on Mr Ayers, to which, as his fiiend, I claim the right to reply. It may be admitted that you have the right to oriticiee with all proper severity and honesty any humble productions of your contemporary the " Star," if you think them of sufficient importance, still you have not the right to attack my friend until you have obtained reliable and sufficient information. I claim tho same right to criticise any matter fairly before the publio. You lay a heavy charge against Mr Ayers, on the aslumption that he has done nothing for the good of the city as a councillor. Again, you try to force a belief on the ratepayers that he would necessarily do less as Mayor. Your summing up to my mind is that he is tongue tied. Now, sir, I protest against any snch conclusion, because from his place in the Council he brought forward a matter re the letting of portion of tho park, that, as ho said, would give a large revenue to the city. This, sir, is only one of his good acts in the Council, although I am sorry to say on that occasion he was as usual very brief and not to the point. Before proceeding further, Mr Editor, I would take it from the whole tenor of your article that you think, although you have not | plainly said so, that my friend Ayers would be capable of saying one thing and doing another. Now, sir, with all the capacity at my command, I will and must uphold tho character of my friend, and can give you the best of reasons why Mr Ayers came forward last year as a candidate for the civic chair. And I hold the same cause has a right to urge him in taking his chance in the following election for Mayoral honors. Fortuce is a fickle jade, and why should she not turn up one of the royal family to our shores in the year 'Bl ? On the 9th day of November, 1879, Mr Ayers, with a friend, visited a church in the city. Seated in a prominent place, although he docs not hold the same opinions on theology that that body of hearers do, he added to the decoration of the altar a large and beautiful boquet of fla wore, picked for the occasion from his own garden. I will «ot criticise your leader further, because you might aaathemiso me in the shape of a footnote to my letter —that is, if you insert it. Sir, on that memorable Sabbath evening, on account of the congenial reception given him (in bij opinion) lie strode home, and hope within him was largo, so much so that ho is popularly euppoaod to have dreamt the following:—l slept sound,

dreamed pleasant dreams, hope ■within wus large. I dreamed, "oh blessed hope," hope, that apurrest on, would be successful to greater things than the mayoral chair of Christchurch. *' Oh Mossed hope," the Prinoo of Wales visits New Zealand in the year 1880. "Oh blessed hope," may I not be transmogrified from the poor professor of the brush and comb into a belted knight and a that, and giving me ft belt with the regal sword, I can hear him say —"Arise, Sir Aaron." Oh, thrice happy dream, ■ arm in arm with the heir to the throne, we go to Ooker's, regale ourselves; his most gracious majesty the Prince, delighting to do me honour, drives me through the city, around the park. Happy dream. I see the officials bow before my greatness, I ask, sir, is this not enough to bring ambition to the front? My friend still believes his dream will be realised, although, sir, there are times when I fancy he desponds, and perhaps you will think with me when I tell you I of times, when he does not think it, hear him repeat tbose emphatic lines of Burns (perhaps he still fears that let, if no other comes forward, will be to the fore), ' Oh wad some power the giftie gae us To see oursells as ithers see us, It wad frae mony a blunder free us, And stupid notion.' Yours, &.0 , FAIRPLAY.