MR ISITT'S RECENT SPEECH.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14159, 27 September 1911, Page 5

MR ISITT'S RECENT SPEECH.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PEESS." gj r] —j am glad to see that Mr ! Isitt's recent speech has called forth j the rebukes it deserves. Although he ; was returned as an Independent, ho ! has gone out of his way to attack the Opposition in a. manner that I think will be resented by hundreds of thoso who voted for him at the by-election. It is true that he defeated nn Opposi- . tiou candidate then, but it was largely owing to the fact of his being so inlinuitelv acquainted with tho late Mr T. E. Taylor that he did so. Under the circumstances the result would have been flic same if Mr Isitt had been fighting a Government candidate instead of an Opposition. However, he has had his chance and has made a mess of it. Truly, he must have appeared as a comforter to the Ward Government after the trying times they had heen having. After Mr Fowlds blaming the Government for wasting too much of their time- combating the Opposition, Mr Isitt, a professedly Independent member, got tip and did hardly anything else. It truly looks as if Mr Isitt is either angling for tho Government nomination next election, or hopes by his constant ridi- . culing of the Opposition party to cans©

th© Government to refrain from nominating a candidate a&'all. "Whatever the reason, I tliink Mr leitfc is going tho right way to bring about his own defeat next election. Tho fooling of tho country is very much asiainst a continuance of tho Ward Government, and numbers of thoso who voted for Mr Isitt last election cannot do so again after his uncalled-for attack of the Opposition. Another thing, Mr Isitt is helping to do th© Prohibition cause liarm, because there aro many members of the Opposition party in the Houso whoso sympathies are with the Prohibition party, andwhos© views in the political arena aro" ©nfftled to somo respect from Mr Isitt.—Yours, etc., X RAYS.

TO THE EDITOR OJf "THE PRESS." "Sir, —Your correspondent '-Cactus" has written a most lengthy screed on tho member for Christchurch North, whose speech ho characterises as a "mero turbid torrent of unwarranted abuse." I wonder what words would fittingly describe "Cactus's" letter? Certainly one could not call it "criticism," or "fair comment," or 'honest," or 'truthful." "Cactus" evidently does not like the deplorable tactics of the Opposition party being shown up m their true colours. They are so used to making ridiculous charges against thoso in power, that it was timo someone explained the ujiter hypocrisy and hoHowncss of these same charges. It is highly complimentary to Mr Isitt that tho Conservative party and Press should uso th© same methods that they used to discredit the late T. E. Taylor, against whom the most despicable charges were brought, and which the makers have been forced to acknowledge had no foundation in fact. On© fact stands out pre-eminently. That is, that Mr Isitt has already proved his fitness for tho position ho occupies to such an extent that ho is already looked upon by tho Opposition as their strongest opponent. This is proved by the virulence of their abuse, and their gross misrepresentations of his actions. Of course, the reason for all this scurrility is quito apparent to the majority of your readers. Th© Conservative party, or if they like, <r ßeform party," know they cannot win an election for their candidate without misrepresenting their opponents. Their policy is so tliroad-bar© and their candates such novices that having no case they must abuse th© other side.— Yours, etc., H.C. September 26th.