A FEROCIOUS EPISTLE.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 395, 24 April 1908, Page 4

A FEROCIOUS EPISTLE.

We did not, and we do not, suppose that Or. Haydon has been directly approached by anyone 'whom he knew to belong to, or to be in any way connected with the Mayor or his party (although one of those signing liis nomination is understood to be a supporter of the Mayor). The course has been more subtle than that. His personal feelings have been played upon so that in spite of the views and desires of his best friends he has been confirmed ia his obstinacy to go to the poll even if it meant wrecking what he formerly declared to be his own cause. The subjoined letter sufficiently indicates the Councillor's state of mind and how completely he has been blinded in the matter, while the question of its taste and its violence is a matter outside the present controversy. Certainly neither are what one would expect from a gentleman of Cr. Haydon's associations and professions, and for whom we have never expressed anything but respect hitherto —a feeling he evidently does not reciprocate. Here is the outburst "ABSOLUTE DENIAL. To the Editor Manawatu Daily Times. Sir, —Your leader of this morning's issue contains an absolute untruth. It reads recognising the value 'of Cr. Haydon as a vote-splitter, there was consequently consternation when it was understood that he would retire "and preFSure was brought to bear to keep him in the field in the Essex interest, unfortunately Cr. Haydon yielded to this false counsel and decided to go on." I emphatically declare that no person or persons in any way connected with Mr Essex or his party has approached me on any plea whatever on any matter connected with the coming election (with the exception that Mrs Essex a iked me to let her husband have the Broad Street School-room for a meeting which I did) and would have done the same for Mr Nash had he asked me; and if Mr Nash meets with defeat at the poll which I have no doubt he will, you and your paper will be the chief factors in his downfall. Kindly publish this denial in your first issue, and jalease remember that lies are twin sisters to libel and don't oblige me to commence litigation with you. You have used my name very freely since your airival in our midst. Take a kindly warning.—-I am, eto., HENRY HAYDON. Palmerston North, April 28. FORECASTING THE RESULT. A good many editors would not publish a letter like that, merely dis- ' missing it with the curt remark that : it was couched in personally offensive terms, but we have no qualms. Also it is curiously interesting to note that two gentlemen who deem themselves suitable to fill the chief magistracy of a modern municipality, one of whom plumes himself upon being a "Democratic Daniel," have such archiac views on the freedom of the press that one issues a writ and the other thieateus to follow suit. As to the "kindly warning" with which Cr. Haydon concludes his gentle little note, we would remind him that publicity is one of the penalties of greatness, and that Imperial statesmen almost as great as he —men like Gladstone and Disraeli, and even the just deceased Campbollßanuerman have courted publicity, and havn't talked writs when they got it, and got a severity of criticism such as we out here have no conception of. But then they were not in the Palmerston Borough Council. Regarding the result of the election we happen to have had, and to have, a much fuller knowledge of what has been transpiring in municipal politics than Cr. Haydon, and we have good reason to believe that his estimate of the result of the election is woefully out. Cr. Nash's return is pretty well assured already. It only requires that all who favour his candidature go to the poll to swamp the Essex-Haydon vote.