CORRESPONDEHCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 November 1919, Page 2

CORRESPONDEHCE.

AN OPEN LETTER TO T. E. Y. SEDDON, LIBERAL CANDIDATE FOR WESTLAND, AND D. J. EVANS, - ESQ.-

Gentlenien, —At the meeting of supporters of T. E. Y. Seddon, Liberal candidate for Westland, the candidate and his “galloper,” Mr Evans, both made veiled insinuations concerning the Labour Party, not with the idea of imparting any truth to the public, but with the object of endeavouring to discredit Labour, and ■ the Labour candidate in the coming election. Gentlemen, you were too cowardly to state in plain English that the Labour Party were disloyal, but you were mean enough to cast such an aspersion in a j guarded manner. It is evident that you do not intend to “ play the game ” in the coming fight, and no one regrets this more than Labour does. It was generally believed that a spirit of fair play and sportsmanship pervaded Liberal ideals, but the way that * you have opened your campaign with a poisonous gas attack must cause even your own most .ardent

admirers some misgivings. Your endeavour to introduce, also, Lloyd George’s “Ivharki Election” tactics into this fight proves that your Party is bankrupt of political ideas, and will no doubt meet with the "fate it deserves. The results of British bj e■elections since, the General Election of December last, clearly proves that all the people cannot now be fooled all the time. , . , The paramount issue now, is the bread and butter question, or the cost of living, and the party that can tackle this question to the satisfaction of the people will be the party that will receive the support of the people. Finally, gentlemen, Labour flings back in your teeth, the libellous slander of disloyalty which you have made, and challenges you, or anyone m the district, to prove that such a charge has even the suspicion of truth m 1 ■ Labour is going to make this a clean fight, free from personalities or political sewage of any kind. The Labour movement is too sacred to be besmirched with the filth of political vilification. FRED RUDKIN, Secretary Labour Election Committee Hokitika, Nov 13th, 1919.