UNFAIR ATTACKS ON CANDIDATES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 260, 3 November 1925, Page 18

UNFAIR ATTACKS ON CANDIDATES.

(To the Editor.! Sir.—l wish to compliment you upon I lyour remark? in subleader of Thursday, re election reports, and most particularly those applied to a certain type of I "humour."' Now. as a candidate at the ' election of l'> 2-. in ("hristchurcb South. I was a> badly victimised in this respect as any man. could lie. Because I I announced myself as a Humanist candi- ; date, I was straightway baptised the : "humorous" candidate all over Christ- j church. Now that in itself was not by j any means objectionable, because, a? 1 stated at my opening meeting, humoui ; was undoubtedly a fine asset in the con-1 duet of an election campaicn. But this I humour became most painfully over done j as the campaign progressed. At each \ and every one of my eighteen meetings ■ addressed. I had to contend against ' idiotic interjections of a humiliating type, and questions which were an insul: to any man's mentality. But even this much I accepted as part of the game, and managed more than once to get my ' own Lack, and to win a hearing, someJ times without the services of a chair- : I man. The "grand »iarn.' ? however, tame !in the shape of a "newspaper report." 1 published only about four days l.c-fore ' (the election. This "report took the I finest effort of my campaign, and tore' it to shreds and tatters, in whic'i all tJe interjections and ribaldry were given j j patent prominence, to the- entire esclu- | sion of the material I made use of in my J speech. Now. sir, in the name of ail that jis clean and straight. I protest with all ! I the vigour of my pen against sur-h a ! vicious perversion of humour. Whether I lit is levelled against a Reform. Liberal. '■ J National or Labour candidate, does not signify. Xo man of any political colour- ; in? whatever should be subjected to a painful humiliation of personality, which even a criminal does not have to endure. 1 am, etc., R. M. THOMSON.