ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1286, 21 May 1880, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

ELECTION MATTERS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE MAjfl* Sir,—Why does not u Candour" set up for the House himself. His admirable logic and speoific reasoning will ever remain a dead loss to the country while he is buried in Oamaru. lam surprised that Mr. Jones did not detect the Day and Martin of the fellow. Poor Tom Hislop could no more write " Candour's" vapid and milk and water trash than he cawld vote for Mr. George Joijes. Such toadyism as " Candou?" gives vent to is the natural product of thp gepus jeames, the genteel of calves and buttons, of florid face and white necktie, Mr. Hislop has nothing in common with such a fellow.—l am, &c., Adel.

THE DISTRICT RAILWAYS ACT. TO THE EDITOR OP THE OAMARU MAIL.

Sir, —Will Mr. Hislop favor his old constituency with his reason for voting with the Government guaranteeing the cost of construction of those company railway lines which had been brought to a stand-still by the commercial depression of the times, and which were referred'to by the Premier in his late address at Leeston. Why Mr. Hislop deserted his colleague and party in this matter is a mystery which the electors were entitled to know something about long ago, and may have some bearing on his present action in opposing the majority of this Liberal electorate,—Yours, &0., Watchman.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE OAMARU AT ATT,. Sir, —I greatly regret that Mr. Hislop, who has given no little evidence of political ability—who for five years struggled hard to do something for this district as its representative in Parliament, and whose efforts were by no means barren—should have precipitated the acrimonious discussion that is at present raging in connection with the election of a member to fill his place. Mr. Hislop has very naturally been viewed with pride by the majority of the people of this district. Praise has been lavished upon him. When he has thrown himself upon the mercy of the elector?, they have with an enthusiasm that has betokened confidence and even affection placed him at the head of the poll. The" thanks of the electors are due to Mr, Hislop far the sacrifice he in behalf, and the thanks

of Mn Hislop are due to the electors for "haVihg placed him in a position that has given him a prominence that compensates that sacrifice. Mr. Hislop retires on his laurels. He has ceased to be the representative of the people of this district'— he has descended from his pinnacle to the level of an ordinary elector. This is a common sense view of Mr. Hislop's position ; but it is not the view held by that gentleman. It is the same old tale—a little success and much intoxication. One would think that Mr. Hislop is laboring under the extraordinary hallucination that for his past services he Bhould be enthroned while chained to an orb inhabited by savages, and his body embalmed when his soul. ascends to its proper sphere. If he is anxious to retain the regard of the people he has a queer way of showing it. He has earned respect because he endeavored to do the bidding of his constituents—he will earn their disrespect now that he is acting the part of a dictator. No body of men will allow their freedom of action in any matter of such importance as the choice of a member for Parliament to be overruled by even Mr. Hislop. That gentleman has set. his mind upon getting either Mr. Roberta or Mr. Reid returned! by his mighty influence. He has said,. "I 'will, follow Jones to every meeting,, and denounce him from-every platform.'" What will he say I—He will endeavor, by drawing comparisons, to prove that I am less trustworthy than he is. He has said that I am riot in a position to go to Wellington—that I am. under a debt of gratitude to him—that he will exact the uttermost farthing if I dare to cross hia path. These things he will tell tho electors—these are the .terrible judgments that await a man .who, in compliance with the wish of a large, number of electors, essays to do what Mr. Hislop did five yeats ago. There was not another Hislop in the district at that' time,' or perhaps he would have dogged the young candidate's steps, as Mr. Hislop threatens to dog mine. What man could withstand tho weighty withering arguments that will bo brought to bear against me by Mr. Hißlop —of course, wholly in the interests of tho eleotors. But does Mr. Hislop really hold Mr. Roberts in such high estimation ¥ Authoritative rumors that have reached my ears prove that he does not. Mr. Hislop endeavored to bring the wholo army of electors against me to> gratify a whim in the first place, and now he does so to feed hia bitter and meaningless personal hatred. Mr. Hislop says that he was not the causa of Mr. Roberts coming out. Why then did Mr. Roberts tell me that he was 1 As to his inability to prevent him from retiring, everybody knows that he is goading Mr. Roberts on. Poor Mr. Roberts. He is being used as a stalking horse. He ia endeavoring to keep pace with his patron'a ideas of progress. When he flags in the raoa he is spurred on with the words, "Go on. Don't let that fool Jones get in." Such language is peculiarly-Mr. Hislop's 'own. Mr. Hislop's power of creating discussions to bolster up his arguments would do credit to any writer of:fiction. I do not, however, dispute that I promised Mr. Roberts not to oppose him ; but I am of opinion and not even the disavowals of Mr. Hislop will shako that opinion—that a trap was set to prevent me from becoming a candidate. That trap would have been successful bub for the generally expressed wish of the electors that I should come out, and Mr. Roberts' official announcement of hia intention to retire. The field was then open to me, if it was not open to me before, and I entered it before Mr. Roberts had time to give another turn like a weather-cock, influenced by the* auspicious breezes emanating from Mr, Hislop. Mr. Hislop, at a publio mooting, ridiculed the idea of my aoceding to the request of a handful of Otepopo eleotors. He now insinuates that I was the instigator of a telegram whioh was sent to Otepopo. by an of the Mail—Mr, Mitchell—stating that I was willing to stand if a requisition was sent in, I made a personal explanation at tho matter to Mr. Hislop, which should have convinced that gentleman that I was not even privy to the sending of that telegram. I now ny\ke the same explanation to the electors of the district, feeling that they, being more amenable to reason, will give credence to it. Mr. Thomas Henderson, of Otepopo, met Mr, Mitchell at an Agricultural Society's meeting, and asked him if I would stand. Mr. Mitchell told hittt of my pledge to Mr. R.oberts, but said that. if a largely signed requisition were presented to mq Mr. Roberts might be induced to retire, Mr. Mitohell then mentioned the matter to me, and I said that he had aoted rightly. This is a plain, unvarnished, statement of fact, and frustrates another unprincipled attempt to blacken my character as a man and a journalist. Mr. Hislop'a statenflept that "Mr. Roberts* retirement would not give Mr. Jones my vote," was quite unnecessary, He commenced a system of persecution which has culminated in retaliation, and the engendering within him of the bitterest personal dislike, judging by hia actions. * I take this opportunity of saying that I did not ask Mr, Hislop to vote for mo, and I suppose that if the Liberal electors of the district wish me to be returned they will return me without a passport from that gentleman, or even a character. I have not been in the district for three years and a half without having created some impression upon the minds of the settlers, and I have reason to believe that impression is favorable, It is not any concern of mine as to who is the writer of the letter Can-, dour." I regret to say that there are> literary hacks in this town who would shelter Mr. or any other man, I am, &c., Qeorqjs Jones.