POSITIVELY THE LAST TIME.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XII, Issue 1725, 4 June 1886, Page 2

POSITIVELY THE LAST TIME.

(to tub Knrroß daily standard.) Si R( _ln reply to Mr Walton's letter, m your Wednesday's; issue, which appears to mo more peppery than his previous one. He continues to harp most unmeloiUoiisly on the subject of the schoolroom having been refused to the illegally elected deputation from Wangaiiui, by the equally illegally elected school committee of Pahnerston North. This Kind of argument is all yery well ud to a certain point, but it is now very evident to mo that there are men who will not see because of their stubbornness ; whilst there are others who can not see because of their blindness ; m either it is always a hopeless task to try to make them see. When such is proven to be the case prudence suggests : "That to leave them alone is the best and wisest course to pursue;" with this I quite agree. ! Mr Walton is of opinion, or pretends to be, that m my eyes the august body, as he terms it, composing the Wanganui Education Board, is omnipotent. In this belief he is again wrong ; no man m my opinion can lay any reasonable claim to such importance— not even Mr Walton himself, with all his superabundance of egotism. Mr Walton says he much regrets hat I should have formed my opinion of the committee from newspaper reports and correspondence, and snggets this course is not commendable, " for as m the case of doctors, parsons, and members of Education Boards, they differ." Does he mean to infer that the reports published by bur newspapers about the late election are untruthful. If so, why were they not contradicted by those most interested ? lam inclined to think he simply uses this frail excuse as a somewhat ignominious retreat from a, difficult poßitioa. Mr Walton appears not to know which portion of his previous letter I considered the balance.and to which I declined a reply ; I will now enlighten him. The balance referred to was the 'large portion containing gross abuse of Mr Wright and the other members of the clique, as he terms them. I have no desire to abuse any man, nor over-rido his opinion, but I cannot help feeling I have a perfect right to hold my own opinion about this particular matter, and Ido so firmly. Mr Walton, as an apostle of freedom m thought and speech, m their broadest dimensions, should be very careful m his actions, because the man who teaches any particular doctrine ought to try and put it into consistent practice himself. This is the only way of setting a bright example, and so encouraging others to practice what they preach. I am quite as much pleased with the freedom we now possess as Mr Walton is, and as fully determined to protect it to the best of my ability ; but while admitting this, and working for it, I am not blinded with bigotry to such an extent as to refuse my fellow-man the same priveleaje that I claim to possess. This is an age of progress and extended freedom, and one of its greatest results, to my mind, is our present noble secular system of education, which 1 admire. Let it be free, let all those whose duty it may be to carry its provisions out, be equally f reeaiinded, not forgetting that any kind of extreme bigotry or belief are, m the end, just as dangerous as other kinds which have preceded them, and which Mr Walton, along with all professed freethinkers, seem so pleased at getting rid of. Mr Walton disclaims all connection with my suggested • warpath' m this mat ter, and trusts the best possible feeling may continue between he and I. I reciprocate heartily, and m closing this discussion can truly say my only desire has been fair play to all parties, and my only wish is that the forthcoming election will be conducted on the best and fairest principle, and that the aim of each householder may be only this : "To elect the men who may appear to be best calculated to carry out what ought to be a peaceable duty pleasantly." I will now thank you for the space devote^ for this discussion, and the very correct way you haye inserted my letters. — I a;n, &c, James Linton.