NOTES AND COMMENTS ON THE ATKINSON v. SHERWOOD CONTROVERSY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1042, 4 June 1883, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS ON THE ATKINSON v. SHERWOOD CONTROVERSY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —As an interested hearer at Wednesday’s meeting I ask the favour of a short space in yonr columns to give vent to my opinion on the above, and I will proceed to review the conduct of the two combatants. It was apparent all through that the Major was too great guns for our local orator, and, in the language of the P.‘R. the former always came up fresh and smiling,, while the latter somewhat lost his head-and hit out, wildly. I confess my sympathy was with the local man, for; though I do hot follow him in bis reasons for such continued aggression, yet I admire his pluck to cross swords with such an antagonist who is in the best of training, yet I could see several weak points both in the attack and defence of the big gun as follow1. Bad taste (to say the least) in his covert sneer at the remarks of his opponents made at the meeting re completion of railway, because, however well he can afford to disregard such remarks, it is exceedingly bombastic to ' say so at a public meeting. 2, When nnder punishment, he himself showed his feelings by interruptions; for similar behaviour he after-

wards tanhiod 'his opponent, though I mnst admit (hat the latter was a more freqnont offender. 3. When fairly cornered by straight blows such ns the Property Tax Assessor’s appointment, and the compensation for land taken for railway station site at Patea, he badly dodged the former and showed no defence to the latter whatever. 4. His favourite defence was (his. “ The electors have so often chosen me their champion that I mnst be held faultless in their estimation,” as much as to say “ Ruaf MewrjgamP “ Let the heavens “ fall, I shall rise again.” T.-.

The weakness here is that he is again top presumptive, v He has had to fight with light weight adversaries hitherto, and has had the odds largely in his favojnr, but he should not contend in such fashion that be is necessarily “ sans peur sant reproche ” I believe, notwithstanding his well-turned manner of defending his actions, that the electors of this district hate really good grounds of complaint. It is generally felt, that however willing our representative is\ to listen to our wants that he will not go out of his way to tout favours for us, such as other members get for their constituencies—-and without which we are left out in the cold. There are men here (so-called leading men, but probably the majority of these follow a lead) who say, Oh ! it is best to leave the Major alone, rather than ruffle his feathers, because he is so powerful that he can, if he turns oh us, rend ns. In fact, Mr Editor, the Major is treated very much like a performing lion, he is brought before us occasionally to roar, and we throw him an elector or two for him to chaw np and amuse us, and then we applaud and he is gone ; but as for making this lion do any (what may be called) real work for ns, we are not bold enough to enforce it. I say let the big lion get a larger den to live in. He is crushing ns out ,of this We might.then get some hiimbler (even If he is inclined 1 to be asinine), who will not be too proud to work for us.—Yours, &c., Elector.