CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11593, 29 November 1899, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED.

" A Working Man " trusts the electors will not forget to record their votes in favour of Mr Sligo on polling day. He is a real live man, alert in the interests of the workers, and a» straight as a dart—a. man we cannot do without these times.

"An Elector" says that Mr Arnold has thrown over all his good Bible principles, as well as his blue ribbon ones, to satisfy his party. "An Elector" never would have believed it had it not come out of Mr Arnold's own mouth. No church or blue ribbon people will vote for him now.

"Trapper and Co." says the electors of "TCaihomo are beginning to wonder why Mr .Burnett, whoss name is mentioned as "a probable candidate, for'the Waihemo seat, does not either come forward or deny the statement. If he does come forward the trappers and all those interested in destroying rabbits will roll up to a man to support him. They do not forget that the Honourable John is doing all he can through the stock department to suppress one of the beat means of destroying the rabbits and circulating money throughout the country districte.-

"The Author" writes as follows:—"In yout columns a aaj or two ago appeared a lettei headed Scobie's speech and Scddonism,' over the initials 'J. "W.,1 which contains several statements not in tone and form so resnectful as they should have-been, and not r-rooet in such controversies. All such expressions the author wishes to withdraw, and regrets their having been made. Though needless, it may bi mentioned that no persons were in any special sense meant. This withdrawal is made purely of the author's own accord, and he hopes if any of the expressions may have for a moment offended the feelings of anyone reading them this apology, sincerely offered, will be accepted."

"Elector" writes:—"Mr Crawford Anderson is opposed to Bible reading in schools, and would not even permit the Lord's Prayer to be repeated. He is a supporter of the Liquor party, going so far; as to grant 11 o'clock licenses to the publicans in Bruce without their asking for it, putting forth the plea that a petition was sent in to the committee by the travelling public, and in their interests he supported the petition. 'Bunkum!' as a friend said to me, •he is no better than a heathen. How can'1 any professing Christian, support him?' :'

"'An Astonished Visitor" writes as follows on the absence of cheap railway fares for St. Andrew's Day holiday: —" Being on a visit to your charming city, I had intended a short excursion into the surrounding country. This I meant to accomplish cheaply by taking advantage of the excursion fares, which I made sure would be issued" for the coming holiday. Judge of my, surprise, then, on looking, for the advertisement in the daily papers, and finding no mention whatsoever of cheap fares. Sureiy a city peopled largely by Scotsmen should have e\ery opportunity of celebrating St. Andrew's Day." .■;■•.

' 2} c^ Hentity " criticises the candidature of ivlr vv.-M. Innes for the'mayoralty of Port' Chalmers, and considers that he of all mep should take a back seat, as the ratepayers are bearing a very heavy burden as the 'result of niis° management in the building and financing of the borough waterworks by the early city fathers, of whom Mr Innes was one. Three years ago Mr Innes was returned as mayor, and -Oia Identity" alleges that. during hisyear of office the meetings of the 1 Borough Council were a veritable bear »arden "Bill Stubbs " writes to ask if in the licensing poll voters can vote s for prohibition and at the same time for reduction, so that if the former cannot be obtained there may be a, chance of securing the latter. The act provides that the voter shall strike out all the proposals on his paper except one, or all except two, as He" thinks nt; and his vote shall be deemed to be «iven in favour of the proposals which he docs jnot strike out. It is possible, therefore, to votboth for prohibition and reduction. A. "WicMand-thinks that among those candidates who arc not intoxicated with the aanghng promises of lucrative billets may be mentioned Mj Arnold for the city and Mr Warren for Cav.ersham. They are -evidently not" ' subservient enough to sell their very soul to Mr Seddon, although they will support him in measures that are good and for the maintenance of pnre government, if it is possible for Mr Seddon to legislate above party selfishness It is not to be wondered at that* the workers themselves are losing faith in their own representatives. Although' they" may desire legisk-' tion advantageous to the workers as a whole they possibly refuse to countenance anything that is in favour of a few only, and especially when it is through the superabundant and persistent admonition of a portion of our clergy, who ought not to be administrators of earthly tilings, but of spiritual. / WiiHam M'Caw asserts that th< question of the .liquor traffic is becoming niore and more distinctly a question between the church and' tne world. Generally and broadly .the Church of Christ is the great support of prohibition, 'and the advocates of. the trade are men of the .worid. The friends of the drink traffic declaim loudly against prohibition because of the deceit, lying, and false swearing that have fao'mo out where it has been tried, and would have it believed that prohibition is the active cause in promoting it instead of. the innocent occasion that tno Devil seizes to bring it out to answer his own ends. But is it not the friends of the drink who are the guilty parties? On the face of .1, tne very large proportion of the offenders wJio have been before the courts in connection with sly-grog selling .will be the supporters of oho trade.. Judging the question also by the motives of the two parties and by the standard of appeal, it follows that the church, must-fight tno battle. ...... "Benefited," referring to the legal charges in the case of a widow requiring to deal with the estate of her late husband through the Supreme Court, mentioned in the condensation of a letter in our Monday's issue, points out that these are essentially "cases where the Public Trust Office is of great value to the people. A merely nominal fee is charged for law costs, and the saving thus effected is'often of moment to those who are left in straitened circumstances. • ......

Bruce Elector " replies to the correspon-. dents who have challenged the accuracy of the statements - contained in. his Previous letter Granting that, as "Fairplay "'says, the men wiio were the worse of liquor on election day got the liquor hefore they arrived in Stirling, he asserts that anyone who was there on the elate referred to must have noticed more than three men under the influence of drink. -And if one cared to follow the history of that date further, on into the night a good deal more could lie said., Moreover, Mr Anderson comes to tuo.rcscue with the statement that " liquor is openly swilled in the streets of Stirling, with the result that it is absolutely dangeron3 to the morals of the children to have to pass through iasm.. Bruce Elector." reiterates-that,.he simply stated the truth when he previously wrote that Mr Anderson referred at Stirling to a scctiotfof the community as frauds, mongrels, etc. It is only natural that Mr Anderson and his lieutenants, reconnisiug that a mistake has been made, should''be anxious to modify the statement. Mr Anderson's explanatiou; at Milton that he had referred to one individual only is, however, not correct Even "Fairplay" admits that Sir Anderson used the plural number, and " Yigiiant "- speaks or a section of the community having been " hit hard when Mr Anderson's shot told—viz., mongrels. "Bruce Elector".-suggests that Mr Anderson's. friends, before entering into fur- ;? ef correspondenco, should be careful to: see that their evidence agrees. He informs "Vigilant " also that it does not need.a Paul Pry to show up the failings of their neighbours. Tne publichouso accomplishes that only too well. In conclusion, he challenges Mr "Anderson to give a straightfosward statement of the position he. would take up, if returned, if the question of State aid to denominational education came before Parliament. ' ' ' :

CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS But at what cost is this cleanliness procured by many people? Often at the cost of a bal and uncomfortable, skin, the result of the us? of inferior soaps. To ensure a good, healthful skin Pears' Sou- should always ;ie used.