Page 2 Advertisements Column 2

Temuka Leader, Issue 1636, 20 September 1887, Page 2

TO THE ELECTORS OF GLADSTONE. M E J. M. T WOMEY WILL ADDRESS THE ELECTORS OF GLADSTONE AT PLEASANT POINT ASSEMBLY ROOMS, on FRIDAY* SEPTEMBER 23rd. TEMUKA VOLUNTEER HALL ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24m The Meetings will commence at 7.30 p.m.

TO THE ELEOTOEB OF GLADSTONE. GENTLEMEN,— I am driven to appeal to you to look upon the present contest from a right and wrong point of view, gome of you are opposed to me—it i« only natural that you should —but I am persuaded that political bias has not deprived you of a sense of self respect, or stifled your instincts of justice and fair play. When I entered upon the contest I determined on conducting it in a manner that would leave as little bitterness behind it as possible, and to do my opponents full justice with regard to reporting their speeches in my papers. I have adhered to this as possible. I have been attacked at my meetings, and had to defend myself, but no one can accuse me of having struck one blow below the belt. In my first speech I never mentioned the name of any of the other candidates, and I raised no class cries. At any of my subsequent meetings I said nothing about Mr Rhodes except to refer in the mildest and most respectful manner possible to a few points in his speech. The majority of the electors have now heard me speak, and they will not hesitate to bear testimony to this fact. Readers of my papers must also admit that Mr Rhodes has been treated in their columns with great consideration,.and thac not one unfair or disrespectful word concerning him has been published. His speech' was reported so that it read ten times bettor than it really was, and ita subject matter has scarcely been commented upon sine?. Now, how have I been treated P The reports given of my first speech in the Timaru papers were simply die graceful. I never read any worse attempt at reporting in all my experience, and it ia now currently rumored that the reporters had instructions to turn my meeting into ridicule. They did so, so far as decency would allow them. Language which I never ueed was put into my mouth, and incidents were recorded which never happened. The short reports given in the Herald of my meetings at Albury, Fairlie Creek, and Burke’s Pass, were fair and honest, but everywhere else I have been completely misrepresented. Mr Rhodes says now hie paid Secretary and the reporter of the Timaru Herald are one and the same person, and this may account for soms of the injustice. In addition to this, anonymous letters and articles have frequently appeared in the Timaru papers and Christchurch Press in which I have been held up to ridicule I have so far taken no notice of these because 1 thought they were all the work of one man whose enmity to me is well-known, and that it would be unfair to put them down to Mr Rhodes himself. 1 had hopes that sooner or later Mr Rhodes would protest against bis followers resorting to this style of fighting an election, but to my great astonishment he took the whole responsibility on his own shoulders last Saturday morning by circulating a broadsheet which bore his own name, and into which most of the abuse hitherto published had been collected. Now, gentlemen, 1 cannot afford to go into this style of argument. Whatever the result of the election may be I shall have to live amongst yon and it therefore becomes necessary for me to retain your respect if I do not asonre your electoral confidence. Mr Rhodea has, I am told, an immense income, and can do what he likes. What is virtue in the rich is vice In the poor. Let Mr Rhodes’ conduct be what it may he will still have flatterers, but if I were to descend to a similar level I would be called very ugly names. Besides, Mr Rhodes, whether elected or not, will leave here and live in Christchurch, and will not be seen here again for perhaps three years. In this respect therefore the contest is unequal. 1 have a character to maintain, and cannot afford to follow Mr Rhodes into the lower depths of Billingsgate. With regard to “Cold Tea’s” letter I mutt say a word. Mr Rhodes said at Hilton it was written by his Committee, la the paper he has circulated it is said it was no; written by the Committee but by one of Mr Rhodes’ supporters, who sent it to Mr Rhodes’ paid (Secretary to insure its insertion, There is a discrepany between the two statements, but let that pass Then Mr Rhodes’ paper says "Let us have the truth oat about the answer to Mr Ley’s : letter once and for all.’’ Tery well. On the J7th of August Mr Joseph Ashwell, Mr Rhodes' paid secretary, brought to my office a letter written in his own handwriting, and "fathered ” by one of Mr Rhodes" supporters. This letter was inserted. Later on another man brought in tbe letter signed "Cold Tea,” and this also was in Mr Ashwell’d handwriting. The faots that there was a meeting of Mr Rhodes' Committee on the previous evening, that both letters were in tbe handwriting of bis Secretary, and that Mr Rhodes said at Hilton they were written by his Committee, do not harmonise with the second-thought assertion in Mr Rhodes’ paper, fiowrver, the charge ageiosf me is, that "Cold Tea’s” letter was not inserted, and my reply is that 1 had not timeto write tbe necessary footnote to it. On the IBoh, I published the letter b'ought to my office by Mr Ashwell j ou the 19th, 1 away in Timaru all day ; on the 20th, I addressed a mee log at Wi cheater ; the 21st was a Sunday j on tbe 22ad, I addressed a meeting at the Waahdjk?, and on the 23rd, I left early in the morning for Albury. During this interval of time, I had to attend to my ordinary business, and prepare my speeches, and it appears to me that the public will see that my time was pretty well occupied. Now all Mi Rhodes accuses me of is that 1 did not insert this letter, and because I have said 1 hod not time to attend to it he as much as calls me a liar. Let the people now judge for themselves, but I must say hat 1 feel 1 hare conducted the oamptigr *•11, when this charge constitutes the head and front of my offending. Tours truly, J. M. Twoim. Teoraka, Septwnbei 18,1887.