MR. SAMUEL IN REPLY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 70, 10 April 1901, Page 2

MR. SAMUEL IN REPLY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir.—What in the world (Mr. Allst?orth)inducesyou to persistently single me out for attack in the News ? I 1 surely cannot be personal enmity oc your pari', as you are almost unknown to me, and I can ecireely have troddeo on your corns ; yet I cac.no'; thiok tk.it the directors of the News (chief of whom are Messrs. J. B, Connett, J. Bellringtr and E. Dockrill) would inspire you to such a course, or evan view it with approval. Tub New.i has been in the habit for eome lime past of referring to me in what I cannot but coßsid r offensive terms, some times in leaders, sometimes in anonymous letters and sometimes in alleged reports of slighting remarkj attributed to Mr James Bellriugsr and Mr. Dockrill as members of the New Plymouth Borough Council —which rem tries aie surely too silly to have omasated from cither. Last week you devoted a leadingsrtich.' almost exclusively to my supposed political views and past and present political actiona. It is now upwards of ten years since I retired from politics, and I have not in the meantime made a political speech or written a political let'er ; and ten years nga I had never heard of your name and I believe you wore practically uukavwn in this district. Yea dtfiigaato ma as a bister opponent of " Liberalism," and assort that I have for many yvai s given my "whole-hearted support" to a party oppossd to ths present Government, and you select the following as an instance : tical platform of the party now ia office is the government of the Colony by the people for the people. For this purpose the nationalisation of railways, postal and other public department-, has bean kept etwlily in view, yet Mr. Samuel has been one of the most uncompromising opponents of the party and its poliey, and in the case of the railways placed them under the control of Commissioners." Surely, Mr. Allsworth, someone has been " pulling your log " (the phrase is your own, not mine). When first in 1884 I was r-locted M.H.R. for New Plymouth I wits opposed to the Atkinson Government, and through the whole of that Par'iument I voted accordingly with tho party of which Mr S ddon wi.-s a •aomber. • At the noxv General Election I was returned absolutely unfettered by a»y party pledge, bur, I adhered to the samu ptrty in opposition, and 'vns (acting with Messrs Seddori and McKfiiwi*') one of its managing commit toe of fi™ whilst there was no Loader of the Opposition. Afterwards I continued to give a general (though independent) support to the same party until Land or Property Tax bucume the leiding question between the two p ut\e;-. Then only, in the last session ef my second Parliament:, I separated myself from tho pnriy, partly because, rightly or wrongly, I held tint all property, and no 1 ; merely laud and income, should (with a proper exemption) bear taxation, and partly because the Opposition Leader allowed himself t<j come under the influence of Mr Georgs Hutchison, and to protect the latter in his attacks on Sir Harry Atkinson and Sir Frederick Whittaker—two of these Statesmen, the memory of whom should dwell with the people of New Zealand in grateful recol'eation. The question of land or property tax was merely oru of expediency, whilst Mr Hutehison has since made equally gross attacks on his former protector, and none of our old pirbv would now raise a voier* in his dt-f'-nce. At the end of our stccind Parliament I voluntarily retired from politics, mainly for the reason—then and often subsequently publicly stated—that I did cor, think that in the system of Government by Parly I coulrl achieve anything to benefit mj fellow sot'lers—or at any rate enough to eomponsate me for tho personal sacrifice I was makiog. V/hiKt doubt-L-s*. uko others, I made mistakes, I do not think that any truthful man who knows mo will doubt tlv\t I «a> always actuated Role'y by a desire to do wh it Ht.tle I coui-.l to secure the huppic.e<h and advance the prosperity of my I'o'low settlors, —and in particular o' those most in nutd «.f sympathy and aid, I lusvo idw-.ys belie v. d myself t i;o, and a".ill believe myself tib,, a true Liberal in tbe proper sensa of that erri), >.ud of wh'.t constitutor n true l.ibeial you will scarcely be surprised if I consider myself to be a bettor judgt. I Lhau you are. But to tako tl-e only iostancps selected by yourself and show yo'.i how utterly wrong you > '.re, I havo always supported " the nationalisation of railways, postal and other department?," and, instead of ; ' placing the railways under the con- i tvol of Commissioners," I not ooly di't not do anything to bring this about, i but I actively opposed and spoko ami i voted e gainst the Bill, and predicted the failure of tho scheme. Unfortunately, toe, for your no;ion of !liberalism, Mesa?. John McKoi-zie rmd W. P. Reeves votf-d fi.r tho Hill, i whilst Mr. Seddon vo*e<i wii-h on - amies'', it. Sm:e I qni-tcd politics I 1 [have maintained an attitude of abs'incnufl from ali party stnfu, and .1 i iiaya abstained altogether from poll- i tics, except that 1 have twice dor.e my f best to secure tho eleefciou of Mv. * Henry B'own f.sr this district --not I because of the party ho belongs to, but! oij purely ]>' rjona! grounds —and that!, I have once acted a# chairman with J

only a casting vote at the request of electors of a neighbouring district to aid in deciding who of several candidates bad the best chance of being elected for that district. Ido not know j enough of you to be able to foretell E whether you will publish this letter „ unaltered, and express your regret at | having misrepresented my opinions and j actions, or whether you will publish patts only, or persist in your misrepresentations. If you do not adopt the former course I shall regret it, but sbal< he able doubtless to ficd some other means of vindicating myself. Had you not devotod eo much space to me ns a subject, it would perhaps be 1 inexcusable for me to dwell at such length en the same topic ; but you should not attack me as you do whilst evidently so ia error as to my " political faith," and when go elections are pending, and I am merely a private individual not interfering at ell in polities. Oth"r newcomers, like yourself, may be led as'r.iy; and I value the ;;ood opinion of my fellow-settlers—-with whom I have for upwards of twenty-two years cheerfully borne my part iu endeavouring to advance the welfare of the district—too highly to refrain from remonstrating when I am represented as being apposed to measures which I have always supported, and as being aetuated by the " spirit of | party " which I have for many years regarded as the bme of public life.—

Yours, etc., ■ Oliver Samuel. New Plymouth, 9th April, 1901. [We gladly give publicity to Mr. , Batnu I'h letter in full, containing as it , do°s such an interesting account of his history during upwards of 22 years and t his profession of " political faith." ( With regard to Mr. Samuel's breach of etiquette in referring to the editor of , this journal by name, we nesd only s*y that if a residence of over 40 years on 3 this coost, nearly 20 of which have ( been spent in Taranaki, entitles Mr. } Allsworth to be called a new-comer, ! hen he pleads guilty to what is evi- , deittly, in Mr. Samuel's eyes, the crime I ef being a stranger, and Mr. Samuel t apparently believes in the principle, [• " Here's a stranger, heave a brick at him."—Ed.].