REPLY.

Southland Times, Issue 704, 2 August 1867, Page 2

REPLY.

(TO THE EDITOB OP THE SOTITHLAHD T15183.) Sib, — Tour contemporary, in a painfully weak article this morning, comments on a remark in Mr Pearson's letter that " one of the great temporal objects while fighting the battle of life, is to obtain something for nothing," the disseminating of which idea is doubtless highly distasteful to the " News," whose unfortunate subscribers have, for too long, had practical experience of the' converse of the proposition, namely, nothing for something. I regret that both the correspondence and lea'ders of your contemporary still continue to exhibit the usual quota of invective ; in fact the more feeble the position of " Yetus," the stronger he is in abuse, falsehood, and vituperation appear to be his best weapons ; his description of a late public meeting are eminently untruthful. He reminds me forcibly of that remarkable animal— the skunk — whose vile .effluvia alone protects him from the attacks of nobler animals. It therefore seems to me to be both ridiculous and futile to enter into argument with " Vetus " or any other of the recreant scribblers in the " News," beari»g in mind the following quotation from a distinguished author : — "You know, that if you had a bent tube, one arm of which was the size of a pipestem, and the other big enough to hold the ocean, water would stand at the same, height 'in one as in the other. — Controversy equalises fools and wise men. in the same way— and the fools know it. It is well, however, that those who read the .letters of •' Vetus " should not be led away by the specious arguments he adduces, but learn for themselves the truth of his statements, for most assuredly if they do this it will be found that there is no truth in him and that he, of all others, is an enemy to Pbogbebs, lAvercargill, Ist A.ugust,