A LAST WORD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 216, 19 September 1911, Page 5

A LAST WORD.

TO THE EDITOR

Sir, —Kindly al]ow me space t& make a few final observations in reply to Mr A. Douglas Spiers, Mr McCalium's champion Picton "barracker." Mr Spiers gets deeper into the nine with, every letter he writes. The more 1 think of his elusion in yesterday's Express the more I laugh. I presume that Mr Spiers is a Scotchman, both from his Christian name and from the fact1 that he ranks "Bobby" Burns as "the world's finest poet"; but if he is a Scotchman (as I am not) he ought to know that Sir Waiter Scott, and not Burns, was the author of the three lines which I quoted on Friday last Is Mr MoCallum not ashamed of his "brither Scot"? This letter 'has-to do merely with facts, so I will pass over all the verbiage executed in Mr Spiers's most satirical vein, and come to the facts. He says: "I keep 'Liberal' to the one essential joint, 'What led Mr Wiffen to contest the seat?' " This, 1 would remind Mr Spiers, is not the "one-, essential point." In his first letter; he asked three questions, none of which said, either in so many wordsor m/effect, "What led Mr Wiffen: to "coiitest the seat?" Mr Spiers's. suggestion that this decision wa» : hastily arrived at in consequence of "a strained relationship" which suddenly originated recently is entirely,' disproved by the fact (which is well--known to Blenheim residents) that; Mr Wiffen has not been on friendly terms with Mr McCallum for several years. The next observation of the ■ McCalluraite champion tickles my sense of humor. "I have my information not from Mr McCallum,. but' from the1 best of authority." WMoh, bfeing interpreted, means that Mr Spiers does hot think Mr Men Callum a good enough authority to get important information from! "Not from Mr McCallum, but from tihie bbsi of authority" ! Ho I Ho t Douglas has given the show away!' He'll catah it! If. Mr Spiers, or any.' of your readers, Sir, will takethe trouble tOI glance ;at the report of Mr 'Vfaffen's .Blenheim speech,, which was distributed throughoutMarlboiough, te will recognise that-, it ris entirely foolish v for the Picton? sophist' to assert! ( that he mentioned no: particular denomination in t?ietihud question wMeh '■{ he asked in; voiir Tuesday's isriue. Mr Wiffenr did^ not. suggest, a subsidy ,to any other denomination than the Roman Catholics; this I know, because I was: at hiis meeting. ; Mr Spieiu's little attempt at "bhiff" :is too, too thin altogether. I have quite enjoyed this little spear with Mr Spiers,, which you, Sir, with your usual courtesy have kindly permitted; and .now I am going to do him (and his. principal) a good turn. I shall not: deal witii him again s as I realise that. Wi^Misodmfiture must already be :consideraole. ! In this, I am sur© you will agree- -for the, temptation is--great—l can justly lay cLaini to have earned the name of ■'■~,__._, . T , LIBERAL. [This correspondence is no ( w ck©ed;-^Ed.j ~..->-; ,