A REPLY TO "NATIVE."

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1893, 23 August 1884, Page 3

A REPLY TO "NATIVE."

,'V" TO THK EDITOB. V Sib, — I see by a correspondent who signs himself "Native!' 'that my coriesponhas not given, satisfaction. 1 #* -should regret this it 1 thought " Native's" '*"» opiuiou^w.a^.ahaied by others, in the c&slfwfn&ietf VfiKay,«au explanation ia oer&lfely due. Mr Aloucrielf asked me ntiFTO'p'ttmteli a ceitain part of his cvi ft/ dence, as by jdping so a tiurd peison, in w no way connected with the case, might perhaps be injured. I said I could not do that very well, as I must lepoit all or none. He repeated his requebt, not foi h 4riy' personal reasons, but simply to Shield auother from possible unpleasantness. > Kuowiug lua motive, and seeing he desired me to accede to Ins lequest, i did* the only thing I thought 1 could do under the encu instances, lliat it., not send 'any. Accordingly, 1 cliew my pencil tluough the tepoir, and told linn What 1 had done. He said : "It is just as well, I have no desire to have the matter published. " Had I lopoited the evidence leaviug out a, poition ot it I Should in all piouability have incuncd the blame of being mussed by porsonal feeling. "Native" is not by any means actuated by a spirit of fan ness in alluding to the matter, it he were, he would write in a more moderate stiam, j and not comment so malignantly on the subject. He next lelers to my letnaiks te the debating society and the iormatiou of a public library. The joking allusion to the foimer aroused no 111-leehng iv anyone but '"Native,' und peihapsotheis who are unfortunate enough to posst-sb a disposition akin to his. He must be veiy thin skinned indeed to take ohVnee at, I such a trivial thing. As rcgaids the " libiary, 1 had of course to trust to my informant for that item of news. Ilia eno reason to doubt bis information. I am frequently indebted to him for many items of interest, and I have never been misinformed by him. "iSative," undei cover of ft rebuke to me, has a cowardly shot at the town boaul. Peiha^s he is a disappointed candidate for civic honouis; Irom the tone of his letter, I can quite understand his being mean enough to gratify his spite in that way. "'lhe peisistence with Mhieli your correspondent endeavouis to cast ridicule upon us poor benighted Kihikihiites is becoming unbearable." Tiuit statement is false, and "Natne" knew it was false when he penned it. I challenge him to pioduce a single article of mine, with the exception ot of those referring to the debating club, {which were ceitaiuly not meant to ridicule it, but which he choose to think were so meant) in which 1 ha\ c ever attempted to cast ridicule on Kilukihi or the people. On the coutrary 1 have written more in favour of it that any Kihikihi eonespondent ever did, and until I undertook to correspond, very little was heaid of the town in the Pie^s, and in t.ns statement I will be fully borne out by the nnjority of people there. "Native" speaks of my being "slightly gulled." 1 have not been gulled as yet by any of my informants, but had I gone to him I would not have been merely gulled, but I would have been deliberately misinformed. He says it is high time to have a competent local man appointed to represent them. That is a pietty bioad hint that he would like to do so. He would doubtless like to give his malice full play in the columns ot the Pi ess. If this effusion of his is a sample of his writing, the place would pretty soon be 'in a ferment. It took him fiom the 2nd 'to the Jo'tli to concoct a portion of his epistle. I wonder how many sheets of foolscap [this woid suggests the most "suitable head-dress for the gentleman (?)] lie wasted before he thought his aiticle fit for the Press, lie has diann his inspiration from some boiuee, John Walker or, Andrew Usher probably, and a steady devotion at the shrine ot Bacchus lia^ proved too m itch foi him. Why i& he not manly enough to sign his name to his letter, instead of shielding himself behind an anonymity ? My identity is well known, and no one can doubt ior a moment to whom he alludes, but uitn the instinct of such natnies he takes good caie to hide his identity. If he attacks me again I shall ghe a moie emphatic opinion of him.— l am, &c, Your Kihikiui CoußEsi'ONufcM. ■, P.S. — If I have offended the members .of- the debating society, I beg to apologise to them for having done so unintentionally.