IN REPLY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 3, 1 December 1883, Page 3

IN REPLY.

In last night's issue of the Manawatu Times appears the copy of a letter written by Mr Russell, of the Times, to Mr McMinn, of the Standard. Possibly dome of our readers may have read it; a large number of others, of course, who do not tako the Times would not see it, and others again would probably partially peruse it, and then cast aside the paper m disgust. Our letter to Mr Rus«ell, showed him he was clearly m. the wrong re our special cablegrams, and if further proof were wanting it was afforded m tho Extra we published last night. We are strongly reminded of the incident * which occurred on the West Coast, when a certain person deliberately misrepresented the Rev. Father Henneberry. That gentlemen strenuously denied the impatation made against him, but still the other refused to .admit he was m the wrong, until the '■ indignation felt by the members of Father Henneberry's flock at the wantcn insult offered to thoir pajstor, culminated' iv such a desplay of popular animosity that i^e .eggressbr deemed iX advisabte to retire from the sceno. We tpokf- the trouble to enclose, the? .- telegram itself to Mr Russell, accompanying it with a courteous expostulation ; against the use of indecorous language, and his reply is a tirade of personal abur-e. We are glad to hear from himself that he has not suffered from any playful hits of ours which he may have imagined were directed against himself. Set it is strange that m such case lie should, during a period of two collect every scrap out of the 'Standard that he thought reflected on himself; and forwarded them to Mr McKelvie. with a letter telling him he had taken advice and found he could proceed against him either civilly or criminally. " Then again when one of our employes wiOte a rather indiscreet letter Th reply to armbst unwarrantable personal, attack on himself which appeared m the Times, Mr Russell actually wished to lay a criminal infor- •' mation against the projuietor for libel ! This to 6; when he knew that the editor was absent m. Woodville when "the letter appeared. Mr Russell says we have 'disparagingly alluded to'him as a 3. P. We do not remember ever having done so. But surely he will admit-he has times and again laid himself open, t As a defeated candidate for Parliaments Granted. And was it not the height ofpre*umotionforhini to aim at such a position ! But any reference to that incident is disarmed when - Ye remember his lamentations' m epoious floods of teats and bitter wailing and self-reproach over his defeat. We never knew he was a clergyman. Nor can we believe it now. We thought be' attained- r the < rank- *of ' gospel student , and: on'ione- Occasion preached. We I will not. 'further refer to that memorable recurence. As lessee of the [Foresters' Hall he has seriously offended itbe public 1 m bringing/ indifferent com'pahies here, and puffing up very poor entertainments. Also m refusing the Hall for local purposes, m favour of a chance to get stranger^here 'who take money out of the place. -Aa conductor of the Choral . Society— behold J tho result, the Society is defunct! As Chairman at bankruptcy meetings; unfortunate debtors have complained to us of his browbeating offensive demeanor and aggravating inquisitiveness, "and eiiien ( with the lawyers he comes to loggerheads. If his business&as suffered, tiraf he has lost friends-,-or felt himself 'lowered m the esteem of his fellow- ! citizens, as he leads nSJio infer he cannot blUme us, buthimselfc — Bet him review hre Cdreert»9the lasifew ye*rS, on the West coast,' at Foxfon, arid m PaFmerston, and«canhe wonder that things have not gone' well with him. ; Look J; at : his' Aelentless persecution of -Dr. Rockfs^r v oiw, the man who stood' his friend m a political contest ! And hast not Mr Russell suffered -for that; ° and every otfeer similar act 1 And he' will continue to, suffer. He has left no stone unturned to try and injure us. He has gone to our subscribers individually and' done his utmost to induce them to give up our paper; and take his. Does he remember the scathing rebuke he got; on, the ..; Rangitikei, Line from a settjev there for similar tactics ?' What is the result today ? The Standard has double his circulation everywhere, and m mapy places ten to one. He has tried .to influence advertisers against us. This WO have from, their own lips: Let any oneiipw compare^ the two advert'sing sheets and draw their own . inferences. Thus have his acts recoiled on 'himself. He' repeatedly sneered at lh>» * - Wopdville Exaraineiy m which he knew we were interested. He was aur noypd because we got established there, whejn he could not. ¥he-paper turned j out jsucce^sfully and hag been sold ad- | vantageously, and his bitterness qf spirjt knows no bounds." i lie fald'fj own worst ; enemy, pobr feilowj' and the day will come' he will have tq apknqwlp()gß it. -He must let^rn to regard our- ad- . vaneement,' • . which , must be apparent even to himself, with siich equanimity as |ie can display. Not^ many^ weeks ago; he wrote us a^'ni/ for tVle iiseof ( our; printing; ma i c^.i^ j wi/eri he was m a difficulty, which request was cheer fully granted. ■ Jn his letter he said: "by doing so you would lay me . > nder a great obligation " How that obligation has been repaid m persistent abuse, the vilest anisrepresentation, threats *of .libel actions,^ and every species of an- > rioyance'in public and ptivate is known to , -;a'\ i ''god6:^ : niaity ! 'Des^des J . .ourselves. Some day, and perhaps at no very distant, date there will. be. an end of all this. We need say no more.