MR COLTMAN IN REPLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1171, 29 April 1884, Page 3

MR COLTMAN IN REPLY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l was rather surprised on reading your Saturday’s issue to find a letter signed ‘ ‘ Anti Parasite,” purporting to be a criticism on a few words spoken in an off hand way by myself at a social gathering, but which, in reality, is a personal attack. Let any unprejudiced person read the letter from beginning to end and they will see that at once. lam charged with telling a body of intelligent gentlemen that an attempt was being made to do away with Road Boards and establish Town Boards in their place. What a stupid man I must be ! Let us see how the matter stands. According to “Anti-Parasite’s” own showing, an attempt is being made at Wallingford, Arowhenua and Geraldine to establish Town Boards. If so ■ > an attempt should prove auccesJ-1, I ask, Will nut the Road Boards’ interest in and power and control over these places be done away with ? If so, the statement was not so far wrong, after ail. I question, Sir, if any other who read the words complained of would put the same construction upon them as “Anti Parasite.” He himself knows full well I did not mean that by es' blishing a Town Board for Geraldine it would do away with the Road Board influence or interest in Woodbury, Kakahu, Hilton, etc. The world would be much better if such men as “ Anti-Parasite” would practice a little more of that charity they are so fond of preaching to others. I ask, Sir, is it fair or manly to sit down and calmly and deliberately criticise a few words spoken without deliberation and then to hide himself under an assumed name 1 But it is characteristic of the man. Men in writing to a public journal generally have an object in view. Let us for a moment analyze “Anti-Parasite’s” object. Shall we believe that he thought everybody so ignorant as to be led astray by such a statement, and (hat ho would by his superior intelligence and wisdom enlighten them ? or was it because he himself was so ignorant of the real meaning of my words ? His object was neither, but a cowardly and un-English attack, as we shall see. Read the closing words of his letter. He there says, I (Mr Coltraan) allow' my zeal for the members of the Geraldine B.oad Board to darken ray understanding and express myself in words without knowledge. I know that “ Anti-Parasite” imagines himself to be a fountain of wisdom and knowledge. I hope, Sir, I always shall bo zealous in a good cause, but it is well known that the members of the Geraldine Road Board are gentlemen well capable of looking after their own interests, as well as the interests of the ratepayers, without needing the light of my darkened understanding. Lest there should be any doubt concerning “ AnM-Parasite’s” real object, look at the signature, “Anti-Parasite,” which means as follows—Parasite ; one who frequents the tables of the rich and earns his welcome by flattei}', a D--n<reron; anti: opposed to all these ihaigs. Thus you see he implies lam a parasite and he is not. Pharisees have lived before. I ask your readers, would a person writing with a pure object close his letter in such insult' ing language. But had I joined myself with ‘ Anti-Parasite’ and his clique all would have been well. In conclusion I ask him to publish his name and fight like a man, but I am afraid it is his favourite method to stab a man in the dark. At any rale, it is not the first time by many a one. Wm. Coltman. Geraldine, April 28, 1884.