MR WARD'S TRUTHFULNESS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XX, Issue 167, 19 July 1884, Page 3

MR WARD'S TRUTHFULNESS.

(To the Editor of the Express.)

Sir, — Mr Joseph Ward was always somewhat reckless m his public utterances, aod does not seem to improve with increasing age. When did I charge him with " wearing eye-glasses," or when did he discover "that I was one-eyed and equinted ?" (Vide local papers yesterday), I lately had a conversation*, with an old friend as to what occurred upon tho first occasion m which Mr Ward and lorossed swords, and curiously enough this was at an iudignation meeting culled to protest agaiust Mr Ward, as being a party to a piece of downright duplicity. The settlers on the Wairau plain had signed a petition asking for separation from Nelson, which petition contained a clause setting forth that the Wairau plain contained a suitablo site for the capital of the new province; Mr Ward took a supposed copy of this petition to Waitohi, now Picton, and canvassed for signatures, but m this copy the wordWniran had somehow becomeWaitohi; and without our knowledge our names Were attached to this petition,' and Wai; tohi proclaimed the capital, and which m point of fact remains the capital to this day. The men of the plain put on theic war paint, and an indignation meeting was called m protest, and at thnf?Jm?eting I first encountered Mr Ward, whose " sarcastic tongue " had up to that time - enabled him to beat down all opponents. :

I spoke ' m protest, and Mr Ward was quick to discern that he had henceforth to meet ft rival who cared little for His jeers or his sarcasm. The people wore all quick to discern it too, and pat me m the first Council, although theu quite a now dram. I have met Mr Ward many times since that day, and I will leave the peopld who know_ us to judge who cauie best out of the various encounters.

Mr Ward and I were young men then. He has grown older— has he grown wiser ? —I am, &c.

H. Dodson.