CONSISTENCY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume 1, Issue 26, 22 November 1878, Page 3

CONSISTENCY.

TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE MANAWATU IIEHALD. Sir — The editor and xole proprietor of the Manawatu Times has informed you in his leader of the 13th inst., that in his advocacy of various caudidatea " we see nothing inconsistent in our conduct which lias proved such an enigma " to you. To assist him, allow me to quo'e the opinions of his paper on these who have been, and now aie, County Councillors : — "Mr Halcombe has tho reputation of being a finished adept in the suavi ter inmodo, soft, specious, and insinuating; he is alsio accredited with an even greater modicum of insincerity." "Mr Macarthur possesses abilities far superior to his chief. .... He is blunt, rather than bland ; and (as a contrast), has not yet succeeded Jn nmking his face soy one thing, and h ; s tongue another." Mr 'Ihynne is told that "in the plenitude of your arrogance, pride, and presumption, I became your foe." " Mr Henry Sanson has lately been on the stump, and in his selt-glorifi*. cation he has been indiscreet enough 'to let the cat out of the bag.' . . Mr Sanson declared to his admiring j audience (hat he had been offered the Connty Chairmanship, which his innate modesty prevented him from accepting I grieve to say there is no record of that heroic act of self-denial." "Mr Gowor is possessed of some ability, and while his action in the Council was in the main, fair and im- j partial, on several occasions he exhi-j bited a most lamentable indecision, *vvde"neing the fact tint he had been 'got a l ,' and 'talked over;' 1 ' and refining to what he terms the clique, : says, "Mr Gower has hitherto beeu \ one of the join's of the tail, ■ . , . j and that henceforth the walls of the j County Chamber will not re-echo his j verbose, flatulent oratory." \ Further, "Wo freely admifc that i Mr Thynne put the matter fairly be-! fore Council'ois, but if wo were sure j that he had not spoken to either Councillor Sauson or Gower previous to the meeting, we would be better satisfied. We do not say that he did ; but our belief lies in that direction, inasmuch as Councillor Goner travelled over the same ground as Mr Thynne had done privately with ourselves." Of Mr Monrad he enquires " Has he goo experience to fill the onerous position, or would he prove a match for ike Machiavelian trickery of E. S. T., Esq., and his aristocratic sub. ? I think not." Mr London presuming to differ with him as Editor, he stated that his letter was " a specimen of the most sublime egotism and presumption, duplicity and design. . . . Mr Loudon has a strong weakness for thrusting himself forward as tho watchdog of public matters, unbidden, unasked, unlooked and unwished for; and the outcome of his gratuitous services is generally their real value— ridicule and contempt." And as a general all-round compliment, says, "Let Councillors j>ive free utterance as to what their recollections are, without being tutored or led up to the point, and we will be satisfied." Now see what the Proprietor of the same puper says :-~» <; Mr lxrndon, while a member of the Council, was guilty of a most reprehensible act I'erhaps not ono man in a hundred would have been guilty of the dishonorable act committed by Mr Loudon. Mr Loudon's dishonor has been condemned, commented on, and published far and wide, . . . but we do sny that, in our opinion, we consider Mr Loudon a far more desii able representative than either of the Herald's brace of demi-gods." " We have stated that Mr Loudon hus been an üble, energetic, and faith-. ful representative in the past " The enigma appears that out of all the candidates noticed, only Mr Loudon is extolled. Also to account for the change of views of Mr London's co'iulu? • between the 1 Oth of Juiy, when ' is real vaiue was " ridicule and contempt," niul the 13th instant, vrli'.'Q it is said "bo has becu able, energetic, and faithful, and so forth, in the^xw/" You, Mr Editor, have said that "we are not dependent . . upon

bho signatures of Messrs 'Jliviwn, Hiiwson, London, or any one else, mr ro our opinions affected by pucli rliiii-s." I. do not say that you inc. ; iiMi- should I like to think, any pa} eri j .vouhl he actuatoJ by any suclj in ! ! (la lie is, but to quote, ( 'if wo wtiv ! | sure, we would !>o batter snti^fifil." : i I am, &v., Taii-o ! i Foxtcn, NovcMiiler 18, 1878. {