CORRESPONDENCE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3210, 12 October 1881, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE COMING ELECTIONS

[To the Editor of the Daily Telegraph.] Sir,—A very mischievously designed, utterly misleading letter under the above heading; and signed, rather appropriately considering the oblique, back handed malice cropping up in every line of it, " Squint"; appeared in your issue of last evening. With your permission I propose to deal very shortly with it—a very few words sufficing to show the character and design of the writer. He first states that a review of Mr Ormond's past political career is being circulated in the Bush settlements, in pamphlet form, with a view of prejudicing Mr Ormond in the eyes of tbe electors. This is not true —although it may become true, so far as a review of Mr Ormond's past career i,s concerned, before the coming contest is fought out—the only politically written pamphlet now circulating in the bush being a pampplet on the land question by Mr Scaly, of Timaru, entitled " Are we to stay here?" Possibly this pamphlet, though written long months ago, and only referring incidentally to Mr Ormond, may be injuring that gentleman's chances of re-election ; but if so, it can only injure him in so far as it is possible for the truth to injure anyone; and the blame for this, if any blame attaches to anyone in this matter, should be visited upon the head of the writer and those booksellers who are wicked enough to sell the book. (" Squint" can get one for a shilling at Dinwiddie, Walker and Go's.) " Squint" then goes on to imply that a Waipawa J.P., who was appointed by the Grey Government, has been convicted for sly grog selling; and hopes the electors will give the party referred to a " wide berth" if found " disporting, himself in election ro .tters." Now as there are but two J.P.s in Waipawa County who have been appointed by the Grey Government; and one of them is a large sawmiller taking no particular interest in politics, and the other happens to be a candidate for the County against Mr Ormond, the only possible inference from "Squint's" misleading piece of mischief is tbat this candidate is the person referred to. Having taken some interest in this gentleman's candidature and always having found him an honest Capable, well-meaning man in both his private and public capacities, I took the trouble ot making a few inquiries; although I felt at the time of making them that the trouble was needless and the implication a foul slander. This is the result; and I distinctly challenge *' Squint" to disprove my assertion, Neither of the two gentlemen who were appointed J.P.s by the Grey Government have the elighest insinuation on their characters recorded against them ; but, and this will probably convince "Squint" that he has wilfully made a misstatement, the only J.P. in Waipawa County who has been convicted for sly grog selling is a person who, so far from being opposed to Mr Ormond, was gazetted J.P. by Mr Ormond himself. I leave your readers to draw their own Conclusions.—l am, &c,

Fair play is bonny flay. October 12, 1881.