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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 281, 22 November 1873, Page 2

To the .Editor op the Nelson Evening Mail. Sir — Barren of anything like humor though the present contest for the Superiotendency has" hitherto proved, I will attempt to rescue from oblivion ope episode, at least, that struck me as heing irresistibly comic. - : As I have no political purpose to serve, re--garding with a philosophic indifference the blatantly, urged claims of the rival candidatea, I f ßhall give no names, On the nomination day a genial looking old gentlemen thought fit to make* fain unprovoked, and as subsequent events showed, a perfectly unwarrantable attack' upon a fettow-citizen who was present. What the exact words used were mattejrs not, but this is certain, that the speaker intended, to convey the impression, that an unfair advantage had been conceded to a.les*ee by the present Government— presumably as a bribe foro future political support. The man thus assailed, bursting with an indignation that seemed to me not unnatural under the circumstances, clamorously demanded to be heard in his own defence. His assailant spoke not, but merely beamed down upon him with a smile of such ineffable pity that the Returning Officer was actually beguiled into prohibiting the aggrieved one fro m uttering a' single word in explanation, and, what is stranger still, the audience enthusiastically applauded, the decision, leaving the unhappy victim to digebt his wrongs aa best he could, leaving too, iiiabenevolent assailant master of the situation. ! j Now, during the day's proceedings, several gentlemen who had, or fancied they, had, cause to complain of the" manner in which their names r were used by the candidate to whom the genfel old gentleman stood political godfather, were allowed to reply, both Eeturning Officer and public listening with an edifying complacency. True, it may be urged that this candidate had but slender claims to be favored on the ecore of personal advantages, being indeed, if the report of Ma malignant foes is to be believed, of an aspect somewhat sinister and sardonic. Be this as it may, thus closed triumphantly for the gentleman who acted to perfection the part of " heavy father," the first act of the comedy. But the defendant, being one of those perverse and ill-conditioned personages who. Will not sit down tamely under an injustice, had the temerity to. defend himself in print, and though he did not' make the best of his case, showed clearly enough that both he himself and the Provincial Government were entirely guiltless of the grave offence that had been laid to th^ir charge. Does the benevolent old gentleman publicly apologise then, and express his heartfelt contrition at having been betrayed into bringing an unfounded accusation against a fellow townsman ? He does nothing of the sort!, It is not after this commonplace fashion that the Peck- J sniffs of Nelson pay off their grudges against those whom fhey have wantonly injured. He publishes a beautiful letter, in which benevolence fs tempered with justifiable severity, and in which he humanely remarks that his opponent "is one of those persons with whom be detests having a controversy, as he rushes into print at every opportunity he can catch, thinking wordiness will serve in lieu of sense." He further condescends to explain " that he mentioned the patent slip merely as an illustration ! " . So might an anatomist complain of the writhing of a dog undergoing dissection at his hands. - ' • So complained the wolf of the unfriendly behaviour of the lamb's forefathers. And thus falls the curtain on the second and last act of this comedy, which rises almost to the dignity of melodrama. We see, as the dropscene descends, the benevolent old gentleman still beaming down on us blandly, but with a look of subdued triumph stealing over bis features, while his impatient victim, who persisted'in wriggling under his flaying, is fain to crawl away amidst the mocking laughter of that large majority of us who prefer an ounce of fun to a pound oi justice. : ' ; ' •>' •* •■• ..,: ■„, , ■•. lam, &c, ... Democritus^