"FREETHOUGHT IVO."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2642, 8 July 1887, Page 2

"FREETHOUGHT IVO."

TO A. W. HOGG Esq., [Editor' Wairarapa Star.] Open Letteb No 2. Sir*—ln niy previous letter to you I concluded as follows " Exeroiso, I pray you, a Mo charity, and oultivato those qualities which distinguish rational marrfrom irrational brute." When I wrote those words, I had little hope that they would work any groat reformation in you. I have not been dissappointed. Still I have not been altogether. unsuccessful, Your leader in the Star of July 2, is unique in its way—it is slightly more, decent than usual! You wisely, though not bravely, devoted your more objectionable style and grosser epithets to the Observer, You make, however, one grave error regarding my first letter—a mistake natural in a man of your mental calibre you mistake my politeness for weakness'. Sir, I know no man on earth I fear less than yourself. ■ I will tell you wjby r the knowledge may be useful to you.

First, then, you are unable to.argue, You think epithets are arguments!'. Jjet me make this clear. My previous letter to you was perfectly courteous. and calm, yet you call'me a''windbag" and say I"rMe." Then,as excuse for these Hoggian elegancies, you assert that I "strut in myjo.urnalißtic capacity, under ayariety of disguises." These three mero assertions settle the matter-in your mind, My good Sir 1 It is your readers you have to convince not yourself. Your readers do not regard you as inspired. You must prove to them that I am a windbag, and that I rave. Do not you see the difference now ? But still proceeding on your improved assertions, you declared I called you an "ignorant bullying boor." Hero you drop into another pitfall. Dq'you suppose that I am the only pressman or other, person who holds you in low. esteem ?. Why in the Wairarapa—the only place where you. are known—l have; heard. I regret to say, scores of persons use far' stronger epithets regarding you, than " ignorant bullying boor." But had you the faintest knowledge of literary matters you would see that " Wellington Watchman" and myself areas different in style as possible. You should reason more',and assert, less. You are the victim of a ifatal and ungrammatical' fluency.'*. 'You. suffer from a dysentery of bad assertion. Correct this!:

.: .No, sir, you are not a favorite in the Wairarapa. This is the more unfortunate because you arrogate the post? tion (vide your leader July 2) of Flog-master-General of the' manners and morals of Wairarapa North. Nqtt,

for such a position, a person BMm& good tempered, talented, truthful,', honest and well educated., .The people' of the Wair'arapasay you possess none ■ofthese qualifications; they scoff at <' your loudirofessioneof honesty, inde-i pendence M ; jofty. motives. you ptofess "..Jjj&: p^pV: 4^fet^cpnfe^^o|^;; ' that thaw evjff foufid" tHe; tKe•; fy shreWfdSeer^g-;i : folk. ; ;:lii ai^se, i wer6. J honesty" •difeeii) af $§ ra|ia« v: |ioiiM4 seUJhetoatyour M|pie} |rsit ; wouldbeiarge;'; ■■:^--W l^:. ' rdo.npt ; feat : you, in; th'e.:tasni liave memory—i:prefer to put it;- sq,;Cit ia more euphonic. I will •< giye : : one-.ra-stance of your bad■'■mem6i , yrrs;uijg idimorlmes. In lectured in Masterton. You;irY6re}present,l invited discussion';. tYpjt sat Yery still indeed.v 'After I-;.'lef{?you .wrote, from that. of yours,.a report,. In that repdrfeacting with .your usual certain expressions in'my : m6u|ili'|jA ich. ntmr Mud ~ to dilate on my vulgarity and bq.continued l to do, ■; Thptt-is. not the point,-howeverv- This 1 is::jjpii or about February, 1885, the •idllppng appeared in the Star withreference to. me:-' :'K\'T' % l\ •"" Wo considbrtbaknei^er/.inlSvit, :ii(gu* J meat «6<7»fy or ,(sic). valor laho'.a oreSittOtltt Freethinkers of New Zealand.-'" '■::■&';'■

Well, sir, In 18831 had no'paper in which to reply to you. Youwere safe, in Coward's Castle! . I came up to .Masterton,;therefore, to face and : contradict you! ;I,invited you to ; attend my lecture. I informed you I, would castigate you for Sir, you remained away. You\Mr&\fliscreet. But in June-1887 T had:; a; paper in which to reply to 'your'' ornate fables, r ,and so in June 1887 you'write .jrjy|"Aman of ability and.educajflr, 1 ' Sir, you are oxcoodingly dificf eet,*Ki;t dp you not perceive "that gentlemen of your trade-professional- economizers of the truth—should h'aYfc.Temarkably •good memories ?' •:•■''*

. Thirdly, Ido not jfoar, ygu you.are no critic. neithonjjl the-education noces- '," sary for the office. : Lhay£never seen an unfavorable notice.. p£;|ny of my lectures in any ■|ie,wi;^alaud i .jpaper except yours—the .iS^v^jfevery other paper has.spoken of ,raj. c r|anner and matter" in 'flattering; .terms}. Possibly they were Still I do not thin%6u are a|rl|ic because, afterdilating in 'BS upsJttyignorance, coarseness and want -p||bility (and you re-. member, a'great afgumeiit against me) you-wrote:— w ; -/.' ■' ■&' ■" Thore : waß a' "good'sitten'daneo, anone lecture created a good deal of fun blaspkmy calculated to shook although owing to tho lootutev indulging in an .astounding display I olWiifandro& and-amuse those Ac, &i" "'■'■' '•< ':•■;■,..

This is not a v"ory,crft«ca? notice, is it ? The italicised portions read queerly, Eh? Then, Sir, Observer, youreally continually itiSngle language •m a blood-curdling'-inanneri For instance you, try to make Gemini, tho twins, into (rCT!iiJw,tiieiwinßes. There is a vulgar prejudice' against. thiV ; . You'should carefully, eschew fbrei§«» phrases. In .unaccustomed hands they 7 are liable to miss-fire. They might injure you. Butiyou are not much of a critic, are you?

Fourthly, I'fear you not, because you are neither honest nor brave. I will give you ono instance. I can give a score. You say in your leader of July '. ~ "Had wo imagined '' that tho®!thought platform was such an unstabloK ) altogother wretched structure that our reteronce to " Ivo'b" new occupation would place him in the position of Othello we should certainly have held pur hand."

This was in, answer to my letter, Did I say anything about you damaging me on the Freethought platform? You know.l did not! You know I alluded to my engagement with Mr Nation.. You know,/..1 have nevor depended upon the Freethought platform for my.living; 'Why then did and do you drag in'the Freethought. platform? I will tell you; you thought it wonld : creato a prejudice! against the Standard. You • have dragged the name of God through your columns of-Jlth to serve your 'base and pitiful purposes in an'election squabble. ~ You even parodied the most beautiful psalm in the Bible and talk of my profanity! Mr Hogg, you are one of those—now, happily, rare' peraona—who never remember your Deity until you desire to use him. What are you ? A Christian or a tothinker? Come; pit mtroduc«feligion into, thijsiscuß3ion, not iKlJufc be a man; deojjtre what you are. But remember,,, ifvjou call yourself & Christian, thaW-many have heard you boast your infidelity, and that you, with .your vaunted owe to aFreet&ker any positibri.which •you may'havelttained. A Freethinker made you, would it had been in his power to have made yon-honest and manly. Remember, on the other hand, ifyou'claim to be a Freethinker, every decent Freethinker will' disown! you as a" renegade. "'Sir, you stand between the Scylla of Christians contempt, and the Charybdis of ■'.'Free-thinkers''-sco'rn. You run with, the hare; you hunt with the hounds. You sell your noble "principles," your and " independence" for a.five-shilling advertisement. .Yon taunt me -with my religious opinion because you know I am your superior —and that is not lauding myself extravagantly. Yes, sir; your superior in ability, courage, argument, id true independence, and as you doom face and fisht me on our respWve merits, you attempt to stab me in4he back. . 'Tis • the bravo's- triek the world over* You are too- late in'the world's history. With morfrhoriesty; you mighiha've made' an Biferibr; off the Inquisition; with more couragav. persecutor of Covenanters. Forsakef by fate i"b'6rn two hundred •yMis'"

/Vqpibre after your proper era, .you are—- '-, tie Editor of tlio Star, and your name in Hogg. . •■ lam Sir, -. Your obedient servant, :: ' J. Evison.