CORRESPONDENCE. THE TARANAKI SEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 242, 6 October 1908, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE TARANAKI SEAT.

To the Editor. Sir —Can it be possible that the leaflet entitled "Political Platform of Mr. W. 0. Malone . . . Liberal Candidate for Taranaki," was written and published bciore Mr. C. E. Bellringer was chosen by the Government as the Liberal man? Or, on the other hand, was it written afterwards! In either case the "champion" (sic) seems to have made a mess of things. The position of the disappointed political aspirant is on a par with that of the "bumper" who got bumped.—l am, etc., DUX. Xew Plymouth, sth October, 1908. REV. L. M. ISITT'S ATTACK OX THE STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATE. To the Editor. Sir,—Tbe Rev. L. M. Isitt's letter in this morning's News is most unsatisfactory, and only increases his offence. He wishes us to consider it his own personal act in denouncing and threatening Mr. Fit/Herbert for his conduct on the bench as our chief local legal authority. One fails to see how a lecturer in 'he employ of "the temperance party," a<vl who it is currently reported is so high in the confidence of his employers as to be paid better than our Cabinet Ministers, can disassociate his diatribes from that party. Be that as it may, I wish to repeat now what I said to him on Saturday night at his meeting, tint his remarks on that gentleman were, in my opinion, both cowardly and untruthful: cowardly because as a civil servant Mr. Isitt knows his victim cannot reply to his charges, and untruthful in so far as they state the Stipendiaiy Magistrate to have acted beyond his legal powers. I asked him if he were aware of the fact that those wishing to appeal had taken the opinion or eminent counsel as to the propriety of so doing, and bad been advised that it was inadvisable—a certain evidence of Mr. Fitzherbert being correct. Nothing is more to be deprecated than attacks of I this nature on our judiciary; they tend

to shake the foundations of our civilisation. I cannot conclude without point

ing out how foreign to the spirit of Christ is such arrogance and ill-feeling as Mr. Isitt's attack illustrates, :iml which one notes from time to time as a characteristic of this anti-Christian, persecuting crusade which the Dominion is now suffering.—l aiu, etc.. 15. ENROTH.