THE ATTACK ON MR MASSEY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1302, 4 December 1911, Page 8

THE ATTACK ON MR MASSEY.

MR ISITT'S REJOINDER. ! A STRANGE DEFENCE- • "NO. DESIRE TO MAKE PARTY CAPITAL,'" IBj Talormph.—Pren Aisoela.tioi.l Christchurch, December 1. Mr. L. M. Isitt makes the following i statement in reply to Mr. Massey:—"ln view of Mr. Massey's , speech at Grey [ Lynn I make this statement that men may judge whether I desire to make poiii tical capital, or am intensely anxious to clear the name of my friend. My telegram, quoted by Mr. Massey, evidences my eagerness to accept the 'amende honorable,' aud close the . whole, wretched business. After Mr. Taylor's death I wrote to Mr. Mas=cy, asking him to retract his charge. Before he received my letter, he did so in the terms recorded in Hansard, and quoted by him. 1 was delighted, and, without recognising or suspecting that there was any reservation, 1 sent the wire: 'Personally ed for your action. Glad you spoke before my letter was received.' - Is - that the teit-gram of a man ungenerously disposed towards Mr. Massey? "When I reached Wellington, several member* reproached me with my failure to see that, while Mr. Massey, in view of Mr. Taylor's death, had 'unreservedly withdrawn the charge,' he had carefully abstained from the admission that he had been misled, and that the charge was Untrue, and that this could alone clear Mr. Taylor's memory. Moreover, I was told Umt it was being said'that the chargo was true, but, of course, under the circumstances, Mr. Massey withdrew it. Since then I have been told the same thing more than once myself. "Now those who read-.Mr. Massey's reply to his questioner at Paluierstcn North will nolo how carefully the same reservation is maintained. Sir. Massey withdraws the statement. He regrets that he made, it, Tmt he does not say: 'I was misled; it was untrue." But, while he fails to do this, he tells his hearers that ho and Sir. Taylor snook hands,., and were on, the, point of an understanding. Every word was listened to by the Palmerston- audience with the keenest interest, and, immediately, several" of Mr. Taylor's friends in Palmcrston North wrote, urging me to intervene, and saying that Mr. Massey's failure to declare Mr. Taylor innocent was a fresh slur upon his memory. "My friends will not believe that I have sunk low enough to make political capital out of an incident, any reference to which involves new distress to Mr. Taylor's widow and family, but I foel that the first claim in this matter is the character and memory of tho man so dear to me and to thousands throughout Now 7ifaland. I now say again that, if Mr. Massey was on the point of a full understanding with Mr.' Taylor, ho knows—and all who knew Mr. Taylor know—that a full understanding was only possible on Mr. Massey saying: 'I was misled; you are innocent,' Mr. Cole and others will bear mo out in tho statement that it was an absolute mystery to Mr. Taylor what Mr. Massey had heard—ho knew himself to be. so clear of any wrongdoing in his conduct of the ea.se, alluded to. "Now, if .Mr. Massey was prepared to bring about such understanding and reconciliation, then, by admitting Mr. Taylor's innocence, why does ho not make that admission now? Surely nothing can be easier—now ho knows that men are putting this construction on his words—than to say (he can call us fools if he likes; we are not careful of our own reputation in this thing): 'These fools have misunderstood me. I do not only withdraw my charge—l retract it. I say definitely that I was misled; that, Mr. Taylor was innocent.' "Those present at tho Grey Lynn meeting who applauded Mr. Massey when ho quoted my telegram, ami askod what more could lie do than he had done, failed to realise that the one thing that I asked him to do he did not do. He did not assert Mr. Taylor s innocence. "Unless he either does this or proves his charge, the friends of Mr. Taylor will never be satisfied, or regard Mr. Mas-sei ■ as an honourable man. Tf all that Mr Massey s full withdrawal and expression of regret means is: 'The manisdead.aiid.of course, I withdraw,' we who know, know that whoever persuaded Mr. Massey into his belief, lied foully, and we will* not rest until the innocence of one of the noblest men who over loved and worked for tho good of tho people of this Dominion is made manifest. Onco more T ask Mr. W! Will .he, without evasion, admit that he was misled, and Mr. Taylor innocent, or will he do thonnlv other thin" any honourable man in his position can do, viz.: Give definite form to this charge, and prove it. Surely there is no evidenco of a desire to mako political capital m this. request,, ' . ... "I wait Mr' Massey's reply, prepared to ?. n 7 "' e "' M .'dent for. over the moment fcnat the admission is made." INDIGNATION IN AUCKLAND. A VIGOROUS RESOLUTION. . (By I'eJeerapti.-SDCctal Covrcspondmt.l '■ . . Auckland, December 3. Strong indignation was expressed at n meeting of the Auckland Executive of thu Political Reform League on Saturday evening at an attack made by tho Hon". Geo. Fowlds on Mr. Massey at Grey Lynn on 1-riday night, and Mr. Fowlds's utterances. wore denounced in strong terms by a number of .'prominent citizens. It was unanimously decided to issue the following statement for publication:— . "In reply to Mr. Fowlds's remarks referring to the late Mr. T. K. Tavlor, the Auckland Executive of the Political Heform League, desires to «ilMhc attention of the electors to the detestable party tactics being adopted by a certain class c'f Government supporter in the wild endeavour to discredit tho Leader of .the Reform party, and, appeals to all fair- . minded ]>oople to join t at the ballot-box in a united protest against such a degradation of political life as the attempt to use a dead man's character as a shuttlecock in party warfare. Mr. Massey, in his place in Parliament, after the death of the late Mr. Taylor, took a right and honourable course, and his nianlv and straightforward speech was licarU'lv ap- , plaudcd by members of both sides of .tho House. Mr. Massey's sterling integrity of character, the upright honesty of all his life, and his steadfast'adherence to principle, stamp him as a man amongst men, and as a figure in political .life in every j way worthy of the esteem and respect ' of all parties. As a public man, and a? • the leader of a great party, he is eititled to the rcs|>ect and courtesy due io . his position, and this executive trusts.' that the electors of New, Zealand will ' express the strongest possible disapproval I of the attacks ..' mado : npou " him by the Hon. Q. Fowlds and Mr. Lsiti, <

knowing that Mr. Masse? cannot now en* tcr into details of his dispute with. th« late .Mr.-T. E. Taylor. A certain clasi of Government supporters, •. fortunately •for the credit of this country in the minority, has seized the chance to uso the honour of the deceased member as % cloak for an attack upon an honest and upright gentleman." The executive suggests that Messrs. Fowlds and Isitt, in the introduction of this matter on the eve of the elections, are more concerned in the political cap!, tal that may be made out of it than anr other aspect. Otherwise they • would, have brought up_the question in the proper place—the House of Representatives, . THE TAYLOR-MASSEY INCIDENT. . 03r TtleeraDh.-Soecial Corresoondenu Chrittchurch, December 1. When Mr. Massey was last in Christ, church he was accompanied by Mr. C. A. C. Hardy, member for Selwyn. Mr. Hardyspent most of his time in Mr. Massey's company, and 6aw something of the Mas-sey-t'ayior incident which aid not come before the public. ( Mr. Hardy was seen at Springfield by a 'Press" reporter on Friday, and he made an interesting statement on the matter. On the day of the famous meeting in the Choral Hall, Mr. Hardy called in the City Council Chambers and saw Mr. Taylor in the Mayor's room. Thcv had a friendly talk together, and it ended in' Mr. Hardy inviting Mr. Taylor to join Mr. Massey and himself at lunch at the Clarendon Hotel. Mr. Taylor said that he would have been very pleased to accept the invitation, but "he was engaged in inspecting some blankets which had been secured by the Coal and Blanket Fund. Mr. Massey and Mr. Taylor met in a little aute-room at the Choral Hall in the evening. "They shook bands," said Mr. Hardy, "and chatted together in a perfectly amicable manner for some little time. Mr. Massey had informed me previously that he intended to deal with the matter in dispute, and he repeated this again after iiis conversation with Mr. Taylor. I was much struck with the friendly nature of the meeting between the two men, and one can only regret thct, later, it was found impossible to bold the public meeting. "In view of Mr.. Massey's frank and honest statement in the House, aud the friendly nature of the last meeting between the two men, it is most unfortunate that an attempt should be made to make political capital out of an incident which might well have been forgotten."