MR. SEDDON, THE UNEMPLOYED, AND THE RAILWAY.

Kumara Times, Issue 2940, 2 April 1886, Page 2

MR. SEDDON, THE UNEMPLOYED, AND THE RAILWAY.

[to the editor.] Sir—Mr Seddon’s reply reminds me of the old story over again—the moan, lain has brought forth a mouse. I expected Mr Seddon would have defended his telegram to the Minister for Public Works re the unemployed; but be has not. Can it be possible that he is frightened to defend it, or is it that lie thinks it indefensible. Such an unwarrantable liberty as Mr S. has taken demands an ample apology, and he knows it. He tties by filling nearly two columns of your valuable journal with wordy and unmeaning platitudes to hoodwink the public of this district. As to the unemployed incident to Westland, Mr S. stands by with emptyhanded apathy, and makes no effort to relieve the distress he sees around him. It behoves the unemployed working men to watch Mr Seddon, for what he says of “stiff-ring starvation” on the other side, he will say to you. and that is, that it is all “bunkum." Mr Seddon is himself well fed by a discriminating public, but be does not believe in any one else, even though starving, having a small share of the public funds. Charily and pity he is incapable of understanding. Mr S. expends an immense amount of wind in blackballing me, and in speculation as to who I am. He can rest contented on that point, as I do not intend to enlighten him, neither is it necessary or customary for every water to do so. The Press is inviolable, if wished, therefore my true name will remain a s-cr-t. I will give nn extract from the Grey River Aigns to show ihe opinion on Scude.-s untui ions telegram ;

“The representative of Kumara is getting worse and worse. It would appear he is under the impression that the more boorish and brusque he is with Ministers of the Crown the more he will endear himself to his constituents. Now we know quite as much about diggers as Mr Seddon does, and we take an entirely different view of what they would like in a representative. There is something in the life of a miner that tends to bring out the manly and sterling qualities. He may not as a rule be possessed of the culture and finish of a gentleman, but the majority of at least old diggers possess the true foundation of at least all gentlemanliness—they are frank, truthful, and courteous, and abominate discourtesy as much as they do tyranny in any form ; and we venture to say that they will regard the telegram to the Minister of Public Works with general reprehension. It is coarse and insolent to a degree.” A Hokitika contemporary of yours says :—“ We are glad to observe that the brutally insulting telegram recently sent by Mr Seddon, M.H.R., to the Minister of Public Works has met with universal reprobation. It has not a redeeming point. It is coarse, devoid of humour or sense, and could only have emanated from a man consumed by morbid vanity. We hope that Mr Seddon’s Kumara constituents will insist upon an apology being sent to Mr Richardson for such a vulgar and wanton insult.” An extract from a letter of one of the unemployed ;—“ I, as one of the unemployed, am not here to take the bread out of the months of the Westland working men : but still I think that time will prove that my fellow men at the Arahura as a body are not devoid of principle.” Taking a full view of the subject it appears to me that Mr Seddon is sailing under false colours—colours more befitting a barman than a “ Legislator.”— Yours truly, Decency before Honours. April 2, 1886.