Our Wellington Watchman.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2654, 22 July 1887, Page 2

Our Wellington Watchman.

Wellington, June 20, . "A. new era is dawniug upon our history, not precisely a golden a?e, but an epoch of foul abuse, knuckle-dusters and shot guns," Theso, sir, wero the concluding words ol your leader of July Bth,"Entitled "The three tailed Government." I must, confess I read them at the time with some suspicion of a smile upon my beautiful and intelligent countenance. "The Editor of the Daily is a goin' it, ho is," said I to myself, Sir, I did your perspicaciousness (I dcdicufce this word for the future use. of your .Estimable contemporary) injustice. The new ora to .which you alluded has not only dawned but its sun is blazing in the sky. The defunct Government has issued its ukase to the effect that opposition candidates during the electoral campaign are either not-tojie heard or.'if hoard, are to be interrupted and browbeaten, Major Atkinson in Tarauaki was,. despite his honorable name and services to tho country, browbeaten and badgered. Mr Bruce at Christchu rch was not permitted to speak.: Even in" the Wairarapa, I have heard that a few persons tried, • tiro' unsuccessfully'■-.■to organize. interruptions when' Mr Bucbauafi was speaking at Carterton, Sir, 'the great red flag of liberty,'fraternity, and equality, of which we have heard BDmiicl),streanis out upon the breeze and its champious have determined that now indeed there shall bo perfect.freedom for all oxxept —those who differ from them.

Sir,— pardon the egostiam, but I have been a radical from my youth .upwards. Brought up to beliove that the creator put a few people in the : world to enjoy that world, and all the remainder of the human race to minister to their enjoyment, I early spurned and hated as I now hate and spurn so barbarous so ■revolting a doctrine. But, when, a frien'l,- knowing my radical propensities, showed me how Major Atkinson, how Mr Biuce had been treated and asked:—" What of your boasted liberals and liberalism now?" What answer -could 1 make? Wliat answer was possible? Why this: These creatures who masquerade under the fair flag of freedon, these' wounded worms crawling,over the.surface of politics,' these carpet baggers hungry with greed, famishing for the country's pelf„ are not liberals, and havo never mastered the first tenets of a glorious creed. These people-whose weapons are vilification and slander; who answer an opponents arguments with' jeors, and drown.the voice of reason with cat calls and shouts, are but theyahoos tho unclean scavengers who slink about the portals of the Fano of Freedom, They only serve to show how. noble a thing .true liberty is, for were it not noble perse, these miserable, impostors would not maraud under-its iEgis. which is worthless is never .counterfeited. Sir; this "Stout-Ballaiice combination and their few noisy bravoes'nonioro •represent, the great cause of Progress and Liberty than tho camp-followers, prowling around a battle-field.rep-resent the valiaut men whose blood carmines the ground. For their dupes we. can have both pity and respect.

Let.us dismount the high hbrßO. ; Wellmgtonians at the present moment are enjoying a most thrilling delicious time. We are given., over to burglaries, Every night one, two, or three bloodcurdling attempted robberies aria reported, and our" leading jour-' nals" are discussing with considerable interest the question whether the burglanes reported to have been,attempted in.the day time are or are not burglaries'/, Be that as it may, we are having a'" high old time." True the burglars have, not beeu caught; true also ' that not muck has been stolen, but these are only mere vulgar details. Faith has beeu defined as the evidence of things not seen" and we have unbounded faith in our burg ars. Though no burglar has been seen, a daylight robber has—a dark distinguished creature, with a large stiletto and a scar. He visited one of our local Mary Jane's, flourished the stiletto, robbed Mavy ,Jane of "seven and a kick," was affectionately saluted by the blushing maiden with the kitchen poker, bedewed the ground with his gore, and waltzed off in a degage manner with a broken head, while Mary went to look for a perliceman. . This is all true because a reporter has seen tho gore. I'm all ready for the bandit, I've polished my revolver (carries 3,000 bullets to the ft) and am laying'for the villain. Certainly as I have no cartridges, and as ray heroic better-half makes me leave the fivesbooter on the mat outside the bedroom door—vow-

ingßhe will riot have the horrid thing in side the room, loaded or unloadod. Idon't hope to do muoh. execution, still it i s always well to be prepared. Ah' well, times,: times are dull—very. Tho big pumpkin of.the Beason has not yet arrived, end the sea serpent never shows bis; nose now. It jn. said that the exhibition in a certain. Wellington shop window of the London Police News, illustrated, terrifically illustrated —nccounts for. these blirglarous.terrors and acts upon the viyidlimagiriationß of the young and romantic, and that there are no robbers, ho stilletoed strangers, no robbers, fio. gore -no nothing! But .alas! the race, of ribald i scoffers never dies I "'■'. '" . '.*

. Yery general regret is felt at-; the certain absense from the next Parliament of Mr E. Wakefield, and.the possible absence of Mr Hursthouse of Motueka, Both, gentleman were excellent speakers and Members, • and thoy were probably only to Members (bar Mr Fergus), who could keep Sir Robert Stout iu anything resembling order, ami decent subjection. Their methods of doing this were, however, very different.., Mr Hursthouse wielded a rough and ready navy cutlass, a blunt give and take, cut the slash kind of weapon. At the signal " Boarder's away !" ho leapt into the Premier's rigging, and bore down all before Lira with his merry devil-may-care rush. .The hyena'sneer of Sir Robert' was lost upon Mr Hursthouse, who gave back sneer for sneer, blow for: blow. But Mr Wakofield was another sort of antagonist, a. perfect maitre d'armes, skilful in fence, cool, bitter, and dangorous. When he engaged the bumptious Sir Bobby, you heard but little uoise on Mr Wakefield's part, but delocted the dangerous glitter of his agile rapier, saw the rapid thrust in carte, the lightening diseugage, and deadly hit in tieree—aud. whenever, Mr WakoOeld hit ho drew blood. We shall miss, tho country will miss these two gentlemen. It is said- that Mr Hursthouse will bo beaten by Mr Kerr but if that be so, the electors must have a strange ideal of a Member. Mr Kerr is the gentleman notorious for having removed his boots in the House, but celebrated for uothing else, save a difficulty with his aspirates, and his stontoriiin cachinnatioos..

Mr A.'A. S. Menteath,- formerlymember for Inangahua, has addressed the To Aro electors here, arid oreated a very favorable .impression, • He was very severe on thu Government, butt suffered .no interruption. This probably is owing to the fact that the Government and ite ways are better known here than elsewhere.

At ibis time of writing (Wednesday, a.m.) it is bloving great guns from the South'atd, and we are momentarily- expectiug to hear that some portion of the Post Office ruins have toppled over aud slain some one. The wire's beween Wellington and -Wairarapa are down, and I,would-rather not be risking my life on the-Rinmtaka just now, thank you! What with the dangerous state of your 'railway line and; our Post, Office, the Government will probably have a largish bill to pay for compensation shortly. ■'..:']•-

Wjih reference to your leader, of 16th inst. re Mr Viokcrs, of the Native Department, and "Government Jobbery." you are quite correct in your statement that one of .the gentlemen taken ou by the Department in place of Mr Vickers is now editing or assisting to edit a Wairarapa-paper. Thus you see the appreciative'taxpayers pay tho coat of the Government election campaign. '" .

By the way, what have you bcoii doing to the Observer's " honor ]"■ [' see that cheerful and amusing little sheet accuses 70U of tampering with its honor. Really, sir, it is very "cruel of you. Remember, " Life every.'man holds. dear, but, the dear (Observer) men hold honor far more precious than dear Jife." Besides, you should reflect upon the consequences. I see the Observer of Tuesday last says:^ " And we fufblior' declare that if tho Wairaiui-a Daily shall venturo to repeat this utterly untruthful, wicked,, and abominable slandor, then they lio (sio) as foully and as falsely (sic) as any fake witnesses have ever liod evon in the days of bloody Judge Jeffries," &c. I cannot certainly gather from the foregone, what the Observer means to do with you if you repeat the state'ment about blackmail, but,, judging from their tangle-footed English, it will be something, very horrid. They will probably call you truthful, or declare you are not a "hungry, journal-, istic beggarman." This would be very dreadful. Just fancy; suppose' the okiw.sb.ould turn round and flatter you! You would not like that, lam Bure,. The Observer's 6arf Avoids decent folks can bear, with equanimity, nay, with'pleasure; but their -{food wordafaugh! The.idea makes one shudder. PoorOtew//

The .unfortunate " Tui" case has cropped up again. The 8.8. Tui was, it will beremembered, lost last November within the Wellington Heads, when on her voyage from Wellington to Foxton, She was commanded, by Cdpt«in Pope than whom a smarter coasting skipper does not exist. The little, steamer was groping hrr way out of the harbor in a thick dark night with three parts of a gale from N.N.E. and lights only occassional visible,-and/poor Pope managted to jam her'on ja, rock. No lives' were lost, one ..heroic passenger even refusing to land.without his umbrella. Nevertheless Pope's master certificate was taken irom'hitn: and he is practically a ruined man. When we compare bis fate'- with that, say of the skipper of the "Taiaroa," who managed to lose many lives, and only had his certificate' temporarily suspended, we cannot.help thinking that'it is better to command one' of the "boats of a powerful company than a humble coaster. '•■'.'•'

An action has now been brought—by—to nil intents and purposes,the Insurance Companies concerned—to test whether the Tui was, or was not lost by careless navigation. His Honoor Justice Richmond, has decided in the affirmative. He ruled that the vessel

should not have struck master "kepthis eye on the stwWrd compass" With humblest TOpects for Justice Richmond's decision, I would submit that it, is far easier theoretically, to 'steerfia steamer through a network of n'OcliS on a dark night in a gale of wind, when sitting on a com* fortablo horse-bait stuffed bench, than when standing' on n crunk hooker's allegation has bsen made against .Captain Pope's sobriety, on the occasion of'the wreck, and it is absurd to suppose-that a ninn who has successfully navigated his vessel through a hundred gales would wilfully or carelessly throw her awjf. As I have before pointed out, sHi)pew must obey, owners' orders, and: if any* one should be punished, thei -owners who force a man to sea in a cockle* shell (like tho "Tui" was) in all weathers, should bear the brunt.