THE Marlborough Express.

Marlborough Express, Volume X, Issue 715, 2 June 1875, Page 3

THE Marlborough Express.

•"' Givh me the liberty to know, to utter, aud toprgue f/enly according to conscience, above all oilier liberties —Milton

WEDNESDAY", JUNE 2> 1875

No doubt many of our readers will expect that we shall have something smart to say relative to the unprovoked attack upon the Express and its staff by Messrs Ward, Redwood, and G. Dodson last Friday night, but really we have neither time nor space to do justice to the merits, or rather the demerits of the case. Where the two latter gentlemen were not guilty of gross misrepresentation, or bearing false witness, they were practising buffoonery; if they did not "pull ribbons from their mouths," they gave vent to plenty of smoke. It is an old saying — '•' When you have a bad case, abuse the other side," and every reader must agree, no matter what his political opinions may be, that Mr Waud and his friends have bo far done all the abusive business, and the inference is that their cause is desperate, and needs all the bolstering up they can give it, no matter how, or they would never descend to such vulgarities as our reporter has placed on record. Mr Ward said, only a couple of weeks ago, that "We had a vast engine at our command ;" the other night he said "the Express fancied it could roar like a lion, but it was only the squeak of a mouse." Which statement is to be believed ? He was equally reckless of the truth when he told his audience that the Express "had represented him as a slave who was going to be yoked to a party, and was going to pull like a jackass any way they pleased." Our words were m print, and we repeat them for the sake of comparison : —

"While Mr Moorhouse has always worked with and supported the Fox-Vogel Government and is therefore likely to continue to do so, he is not prepared to become subservient to it under any circumstances. Mr Ward, on the contrary, appears to feel such an excess of gratitude, that he would support it m anything."

Mr C. Redwood, m like manner, tells his listeners^ what everyone who has read the article referred to knows to be a complete fabrication. We never said that "we regretted that a man of such depraved mind had interfered m politics," or was " unfit to take part m public affairs." What we did say was :—

"For Mr' Charles Redwood, we can only regret that he took any part m public affairs,

since his ideas as to gentlemanly behaviour, and regard for those who spend their lives m the public service are so small and mean. Mr Moorhouse has served his country honorably for the last twenty years, but m Mr Redwood's eyes all his services and patriotism go for nothing; he has done nothing worthy of notice except the tunnel at Lytteltou, which bears hid name — a fact Mr Redwood forgot— and even that might have been done better. So the man whom Canterbm % y so delighted to honour but a few months ago — who introduced the first railways and telegraphs m the Colony, who constructed the first public works deserving the name, and sacrificed the highest salary m the Civil Service for the sake of principle — is described as having no interest among us, because he possesses no tracts of land, nor countless acres steeped m debt. We repeat that we are ashamed that our sheet to-day will be soiled with such ill-treatment of one who so richly deserves honor and credit at the hands of his fellow-colonists. "

—There is nothing here about " a depraved "mind." Mr Redwood has put his own construction on our words, and of course lie " knows his own know " best. When writing we had no idea that our remarks could be considered offensive, nor were they so intended, but it follows that these men are seeking to curb the free expression of opinion m those who think differently to themselves. We contend that we have not m any way overstrained or misinterpreted the public expressions of either person, and have a perfect right to express our views on any public question without consulting the pleasure of any man or party as to what we may or may not discuss. The Express is free, and so we intend it shall continue. All this abuse and striving to put it down, and jump on it, is so much strength wasted, and the unwearying efforts to quash it during the last year or two have only resulted to its advantage. But the fact is, these men fancy if they could only put out the Express that there is ■ no " Pro- " methean spark that could that light "relume," and then they would be able to rule the roast unquestioned. We however think they have quite as large a share of the governing power m their hands already as will be conducive to the public good. In the Provincial Council, County Boards, Rivers Boards, and Scab Board, Mr Ward and his particular coterie make no insignificant figure. In conclusion, we may just point out a trifling inconsistency m the tactics of the party we oppose. If the Express be what they say — "not a cannon but a pop-gun," "a little "Fantail fly-catcher," — why does it so greatly disturb and annoy tliis particular set ? — making them forget all decency m attacking men by name, who were not only absent, but we venture to say, who are as citizens and members of society, as quiet, orderly, and well-behaved as any squatter or land-holder m the Province, and who have never done anything to provoke such personal attacks, or to justify such mean attempts to hold them up to public ridicule and contempt. If this is their heavy artillery let them fire awayj but stand clear of the recoil. With these few remarks we leave Mr C. Redwood to the pleasures of his conscience, if he has one.

We are pleased to find that Mr Ward contrived to vary his utterances a little on Friday night, thereby furnishing us with room for some discussion m turn. We are pleased, since it appears that we had supplied him with some of the subjects on whi«h he treated, and this reminds us of a remark we made at the outset of the contest, [that whatever the result might be, the public would benefit by the evolution of opinion. The only feature we regret is the very bad practice of introducing personalities m lieu cf arguments. Mr Ward, whilst professing the contrary course, made repeated attacks of a personal and acrimonious nature, sometimes shrouded or mingled with vulgar allusions. As for instance his reference to his opponent's private circumstances ; and his remarks against lawyers, m which he made a sorry jest upon an absent man. We regret that; Mr Ward's fondness for sarcasm should cause him to overlook the more serious busiuess on which he is engaged, and to exaggerate what is said by others. Thus he tells us that " the extent of Mr MoorHOUSE'sJPublic Works Policy was to take the kinks out of the railway" for 20 miles. Is this not gross misrepresentation ? The same remark applies to his assertion that Mr Moorhouse only wanted a seat to enable him to get a loan for Wellington City, a statement which he must know was untrue, and that he had no ground whatever for making. The contrary is the fact, and Mr Ward was present when Mr Moorhouse said that be wanted a seat for the purpose of aiding the present Government m their Public Works Policy. Ifc is no disgrace to the Government — with which we sympathise— to remind the reader that ifc is really deficient m debating power, and Mr Moorhouse would certainly be a tower of strength m that respect, while Mr Ward by his well-known style of oratory and caprice, would do more mischief to his friends than his foes. He admits that Mr Moorhouse has proved himself a good administrator, a complimentwhich we regret to say that gentleman cannot reciprocate. Mr Ward tells us that he never broke a pledge, which is a safe assertion, since there is no record of his ever making any, that we are aware of, as he has always been elected m a district of which [it might be fitly said that it had no alternative. We note his description of the ways m which a great nation is made ; and while it is quite true that if all children are brought up m honesty and industry such a result must follow, yet the doctrine is not very " practical," and should have been put among those he styled " theoretical." A little further on he gave another recipe for making a nation, telling us that " those who managed the national pockets were those who made a nation." This is just what Mr Moorhouse said his ambition was m seeking a seat m Parliament, and Mr Ward will admit that it is the representatives who have the management he alludes to. We

cannot pass over his re-assumption of having discovered a grand scheme for the benefit of Marlborough by making Picton the terminus of the great trunk line through the Colony. What would Mr Yogel say did he hear how his own pet scheme was being coolly appropriated by one who never did the least to further the railway policy ? The scheme was Mr Yogel's, and was named by him repeatedly during the last few years ; and not he alone, for Mr Seymour has oh various occasions taken the same view ; and a reference to our reports of tlie Provincial Council proceedings will show a recent instance. In the celebrated "Proposals" by Mr Henderson. C.E., on behalf of Brogden and Sons, issued m 1873, it is distinctly laid down, proving that the grand scheme was only borrowed by Mr Ward after all. Mr Moorhouse, m one of his speeches made a sin-.ilar reference, and we may say that no one ever dreamed of any other terminus than Picton, except a few hair-brained Nelson people. There is one matter which Mr Ward touched upon, with which we do agree. He said, "If the borrowing powers of the Colony were overstepped it would lead to increased taxation ; this would stop improvements, lower the rate of wages, and the labouring man would be the sufferer." Just so, unless direct taxation superseded the preseut unjust mode of raising revenue by customs' duties, which causes the laboring classes to pay the greater portion of the cost of maintaining the Government, and protecting the properties of the rich at the expense of the poor. Mr Ward has never hinted that he would be prepared to support an income and property tax by way of reaching absentees, and equalising the burden of taxation for the relief of the working classes ; nor from his known proclivities, is it likely that he would. Again, it would seem that the highest reward, the greatest glory which he can think of, to bestow on the man who has raised th ; s Colony to a height of greatness never before dreamed of, is — incase he remains successful— "a pension for " life !" This, then, is the way m which Mr Ward would make it a great nation ! In conclusion, we note that he proposes m case of election to try by further legislation to repair the blunders of the County Board over which he presides, m not calling m the arrears of rates promptly. We admit the grievance, as well as the culpable neglect of the ratepayers, who suffer from the consequences of such neglect, but we allege the first fault lay with the Board itself, and a remedy maybe applied without increasing the laws for the purpose. What we propose is that the people should return practical men as their representatives on these Boards ; men who will collect the rates as they accrue, and not let them lie over for four or five years, necessitating a separate action for each item of the account, and the Board m the meantime and for want of the money, has been working upon a bank overdraft, thereby adding additional expense to the ratepayers. Mr Ward's speech is far from being exhausted, but our space will not allow us to say more at this time, but we have, m the best of tempers we hope, pointed out some of the most salient features.