"FREETHOUGHT IVO."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2637, 1 July 1887, Page 3

"FREETHOUGHT IVO."

10' "V:.:c^Editor '^iratapa:iSta) , J '• ', Si&4lt is-'tinueual for persons ofoiir *''vtradb .td'adta newspaper letters to :; ; : one Bifother; it i 8 a "grggg breatftof the,unwritten ja)V3 ; $ •;" journalism' for one-Editor to refer to ;; : -.the personality of .another. . You do •• not'know this, or you would not have _devoted your leader of June 27, to the tffossertion'that I am the Editor of the BVairarapa Standard. You did so, faowever, and have 'therefore justified !. me m.now addressing- you by. name. I.have the greater excuse because all who know you, know you are'the Editor of the Star. You and your pecu®jr style are unmistakable, and both <pre, I think, appreciated at their true •worth in-the Wairarapa, You are right. lam Editor of the Standard, • The factiwas not obtruded on,Uie public because the public arc satisfiod to read what an Editor writo's, without ■ troubling regarding his identity. If anyone desired concealmont it was myself, but in. the interests of iny employer (Mr-Nation) only. I will ■ tellyou why. I know that unfortunately there existed in your neighbor- ' hood one.person who, by virtue of utter unscrapulousness, and unique stock of foul epithets, and- by his powers of sourrillity. generally, had almost torjurised people who differed from him jßtosilence, I knew this, person was WO pitifully mean-minded, bo. utterly Enable to argue rationally, so abject a coward .with all-his hectoring, that lie would,, did he-know my identity, endeavor to stir up religious antagonism against the paper I conducted. You,-Mr Hogg- no one better know • to whom I allude. With regard to myself I ever have beon and am perfectly indifferent to such antagonism but' in this matter I was bound in honor to flWy Mr Nation's interest. But, sir, ipotiou teaches us both that we have nothing to fear in the Wairarapa'froin merebigotry. The time has gone by

. ■■' for ever when honest men condemned ■-■■■ another for difference' of opinion on ■■;'•.' speculative, pointe. The fires of per- •• Becution are qyt, sir; even you cannot ;. ■ : .wb'ght them. If I write secular truth,' .-and keep: religion out. of a'secular .-. ■ .paper; where indeed it should have no •' place; if I am. about to' 'interest my \ •vjeaders..and.i| Urn able—and I think M| ; 'am-to slTow ''the 'fallacy of the J of yourself and • Carterton; ■ '••' allies, the. people of the Wairarapaare tod liberal, too rigbt-iiiinded to con- - sider that I am a Freethinker and you ■• (call yourself) a Christian. They may •••remember, however, that you, osten- • aibly a Christian man, attempted to ■ Btir : up a prejudice against mo that' . might have deprived me of my '-livoli* .hood, and that, you a professed proJgnced Liberal, and a (at present) •lw supporter of those- prominent . Freethinkers, Messrs Stout and Bal- - lance; endeavor in this age of Liberal- :. ism to damage Mr Nation's business because- he employed, a man : whose ■' speculative opinions differed' (if differ- • - toey.do) from, your own.,'. How is it you admire Messrs Stoufcand'Ballance • 80 much and have nothing but abuse -for mo?- Is it because just how they are powerful and lam poor? Is that' -:y.onr Liberalism? Sir, y OU write about, my principles. : I think 'the . .best proof is that I have been faithful :to thoseprinciples is found in the fact n:that you aro able to : taunt me with ft poverty and sneer at me for earning my living by literary work.' Perhaps, had my principles been more elastic, I might ere this have attained the .dignity of M.H.E. and discerned dimly in-the far future a.pinohbock decora- ., tion king me-at least I might have been part.proprietor of a small country «pw; I think I have brains enough that. I have been some years . fe-the New Zealand public, and on an. unpopular side, and no man can truly say I have wronged him, or that ... I drink, or gamble, or ill-treat or fail

-to provide for. those dependent ■ upon ; Jne. lam a Freethinker, yet I can •truly say thus much; you are a Christian:..'.can you say as much? You credit me with talent and brains. I thank you; I would, sir, I could -.-. tynestlyrsurn the compliment, You ifty I sell "my convictions, When, where and how? Because I am antagonistic to Sir Robert Stout and his Government? Why, sir, I have consistently, publicly and privately, op. H 1885,1 denounced him in a newspaper fc article that, quoted throughout New Zealand, earned me considerable op- .. probiuin from those' who now regard Sir Bobert as I have always regarded ■Urn, I.have never believed in that ..gentleman or -his-Liberalism. His , political precept and- practice are \ divergent as the poles. As regards -\ MfAllance, I have never written or his discredit. Sir, some few years of rather bitter experience have at least taught me this, viz,, that • the'world is not to be regenerated by mere words or "election shibboleths"(l know, you feel hurt at that phrase.) Beforni must spring from hard uaproraio work, and from ceaseless en- . aeayor-tacts not fads sway ni&n and nations'destinies. Wheirifr Nation offered me an engagement! accepted it because instead of going against my convictionsiri supporting Mr Buohanan ' I. was able honestly'and with convic- . twn'to'ddsjD. Ha/1 been asked to government, I should, havo declined. But during ' last eession/i watched'Mes'srs Beetham and Bucharnan naiTowly in the House -personally we were utterly unknown i to one, another and I formed the «ri, and still hold it, that both jhesJi.. gentlemen were capable and honest representatives. On most ' subjects, I haye ever been in accM with them. Neither of these j nor Mr Booth had any ' mWfo do with my'engagement than « vou'had,andlhave never, spoken to ,W' Beetham' iu my life. 'This much of explanation is due, not to you, but to the electors of the Wairar»pa, whom.you tried to prejudice, i

One word more; you profess to-be a Christian, *( Freethought Ivq" does not. Now, Sir, endeavour in future to show your superiority, not by vile abuse and slanders, which hurt no;one but yourself, not ..by imputing vile .motives, such imputations only recoiling on yourself; not by senseless rage and the mouthings of buffoonery, but by your calmness, your gentlemanly behavior,. 'by the power of your arguments, the decency of your language; Exercise; I pray you, a little charity, and cultl-. ' yate those other .qualities whioh dis* jihguish rational man. from unrational fete,':. ;..' ."■ V,,:., v . -;lam Sir, Your obedient servant, ■•• J, Evjson,