LET HIM REST.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3029, 28 October 1908, Page 5

LET HIM REST.

To the Editor. Sir, —Since the inception of the Local Option Poll this writer has voted No-License at each succeeding poll. Now, however, the tactics of the No-License party bid fair to make me alter that vote. In your issue of yesterday that party reproduces the newspaper account of an unfortunate occurrence that happened at Mauriceville, in which a once esteemed acquaintance of my own met his death; the circumstances were particularly sad, but they were over and were charitably bsina foiv>tten. Now with utter callousness, and with no regard tor the feelings of the poor fellow's wife, his children, and his relatives or his friends, the matter is paraded in the public papers by the No-License party. Sir, I would say just this: Is there a skeleton in the past of any No-License supporter, and would it be charitable to resurrect it and set it up to grin and gibber at him in the fierce glare of the columns of the public Press? What did a lowly Nazarene say in the days that are long gone by:— "Let him .that is without sin cast the first stone." Compare that kindly answer with the actions of the party that allegedly stands for reform, and to accomplish which they drag the veil from a past that was buried in sorrow and peace. May be the white robed angels sang a glad Hosanna when our erring brother joined their happy band; may be the Heavenly Timbrels played a joyous tune when my poor earthly friend entered into his rest. Doubtless the once lowly Nazarene, now the Prince of Peace enthroned in glorious majesty on the right hand of the Great Creator received our poor weary wandering fellow man with a smile of dazzling brilliance, with never a shadow for the past that was all forgotten and forgiven. And if the Mighty Hosts of Heaven can swing back the golden gates of Paradise and welcome a once poor mortal man to that bright eternal city where the streets are of Jasper, then surely, Oh. surely, his fellow man should let his memory rest. My Mauriceville friends and myself may remember on polling day that our neighbour's past is being paraded unnecessarily before the public of Masterton, that the heart of his widow is being seared and tortured, and that the future lives of his little orphan childran are being branded with red hot capital letters of scorn. Oh, the pity of it that the sacredness of the grave should be torn up and the last words of a dead father (dear at least in the hearts of his little children) should be flaunted to provide a cheap advertisement. —I am, etc., "CHARITY."