MR LINTON ON THE WAR PATH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XII, Issue 1723, 2 June 1886, Page 2

MR LINTON ON THE WAR PATH.

(TO THE EDITOR DAILY STANDARD.) Sts, — T r«gr«l that Mr Linton should take real offence at my letter of the 28lh inst. which ho designates peppery. Iv his reply of Monday night he answers nothing contained therein, but simply reiterates his former assertions, which, although proved to be groundless, liis mild egotism loads bun to think good will arise from it. He,, has been pleased to accept the position of second fiddle to the Education Board, for that august body, have m a most unconstitutional manner, viz., without proving the truth of Mr Wright's charges, declared the .election null and void. I regret to We again called upon to positively assert, Ihat the use of th^ schoolroom was not refused to the illegally elected deputation of one individual, and therefore no error was committed io connection with the late ' election. Mr Baker, the deputation, frankly admitted that the Board alone had erred m the matter. I can assure Mr Linton I am not on the war path over this matter, and the expression, " a slap on the face," was suggested as having been used by Mr Carson at the Board meeting. The question " smiling on the right cheek " is not suggestive of being on the war path ; but, entirely scriptural, inculcating forbearance and submission, entirely opposed to pugilism. Mr Linton has certainly hazarded a hazardous opiuion when he says, "the Committee got the biggest slap on the face win n thcirelection was declared null and void by the

Wanganui Education Board." That august body, according to Mr Lintmi-,--tnust be omnipotent ; nnd bad the Palmerston School Committee been made aware of that fact, I feel sure they would not have dared to refuse the use of the schoolroom, even to an illegally appointed deputation of that august and omnipotent body. Their proper _ course should havo been, to declare a holiday. The five delinquent committee-men should have then been presented by their chaplain, and appeared before the Educational tribunal. Such subservient action would hay« met with the hearty approval of Mr Lin ton, and no insult or discourtesy would have beeu attributed to them. .But as the Colonial youth would say, "Not to day, Baker." Mr Lioton I regret to say, lias judged the action of the Committee from newspaper reports and correspondence. This course is not commendable, for as m the case of doctors, parsons, and tnembeis of Education Boards, they differ. Apart from all this Mr Linton cannot point out m reports or correspondence, one sentence m support of his assertion, that the Committee refused the use of the schoolroom to the deputation, or that the deputation naked for it. I do not know which part of my letter Mr Linton considers the balance, not referred to by him, for he has commenced at the end of it, an. l l"ft off he does not know where. N« " milk has been spilt" and no " crying has been indulged m." Th« Committee feared no investigation, nor the results of an investigation ; but were only anxious for Mr Wright to substantiate his charges, which he has failed to do ; and as I said before, I defy him to repeat them m the presence of the householders or those he has misrepresented. Th« new election Mr Linton thinks is the "orthodox tiling." Permit me to stntn for Mr Lin ton's information, that tb ! orth iriox thing hid all to do with the old elections. And the only sectarian feelurg engendered m flic PAlmerston Rclwwil Committal emanated from the orthodox thing, who or which has been virt* all} T swe«>t away fiom our School Comm ttee — I hope, not to be rf-introducer). I have no desire to trespass again on your valuable apace, re t'-tis matt* r ; and I also trust Mr Lintou will belinvo me, when I candidly assert, that lam not on the warpath, as far as he is concerned, but I do con. aider it unnecessary on his part to oxoneratethe one party and condemn the | other, without being able to substantiate his assertions. The present coricspondence I hope is at an end, but the best possible good feeline I hope will continue. Tempus omma revelat. I am, &c. T. R. Walton.