CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11797, 28 July 1900, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED.

Jeweller" congratulates Mr F. W. Inder upon the. salutary effect which his political defeat has had upon his temper, and ' expresses the- opinion that Mr Ramsay's letter

let in a lot of daylight upon the political situation. Moreover, he has heard it said by several people, who are in a. position to know, that Mr Ramsay's letter contained a mass of incontrovertible facts. Need, be point out to Mr ' Inder that a supporter of the Government and a supporter of iyhat the Government choose to call Liberalism may possibly be men whose political views are diametrically- opposed. Mr Ramsay showed that Mr Guffie, while supporting the Government, was an opponent o| Liberalism, and " Jeweller," who knows Mr Ramsay pretty well, can conceive'of him as an opponent of the Government, but not as an opponent of Liberalism. "Jeweller" gives a story about Mr Guffie which has not previously been told. When the late Mr Pyke opposed Mr Scobie Mackenzie for Mount Ida, Mr Guffie was said to have assured the former gentleman of his great respect for him, and to have stated that he would have

been pleased to support his candidature if he had not had equally.' great respect for Mr Mackenzie. Said Mr Pyke to him: " I'll "tell you a story, Guffie. A Yankee woodman who was not in,the habit of praying much, was one day brought face to face with a bear. So he guessed that this was just atout the right time to pray. The prayer was this: ' Oh, Lord, I'm not one of those snivelling beggars that come running after you every day, but you see me and you see that bar. If you won't help me don't help the bar, but just stand to one side and 'See fair play.' " Needless to say, Mr Guffie helped the " bar." He always has helped the " bar," and that is just what is the matter with him.