THE ANONYMOUS TRADUCER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12989, 2 June 1904, Page 9

THE ANONYMOUS TRADUCER.

TO THE EBUOB. Sib,—l 'have frequently noticed the number of anonymous lottos you suppress for various reasons as unfit for publication in your columns. Notwithstanding your exercise of the difficult and delicate duty of censor, we get in- our papers a good many anonymous letters attacking publio men. A .publio man stands in the open and has no right to complain if his opinions are adversely criticised and his actions strongly condemned. Within certain limits all this may, in my judgmcut, be done quite honourably anonymously. When, however, criticism become.? personal in tone and involves reflections on character, then I think au honourable man will feel constrained to sign liis name to anything he sends to the papers. This opinion of mine h> not shared, as I have indicated, by a good many who attack, through the press, men in political, municipal, and clerical life: it is not shared, apparently, by your anonymous-correspondent '"Presbyterian." _ That gentleman aeousos mo of narrow-mindedness, of writing words "neither worthy tho rev. gentleman nor of tho noblo traditions of the Church ho has the honour to occupy," " of sowing tho seeds of discord and endeavouring to generate strife, ill-feeling, and hatred," and " sneering." Ho uses the namo of my "nobleminded catholic predecessor, tho Bcv. D. M. Stuart—the dear old doctor" as a foil to show up my villainy. Your correspondent quietly assumes for' himself the virtues lie denies to me. Ho is not narrow-minded, not illiberal; ho is willing to give an annual subscription of two guineas until sufficient funds aro raised to build tho proposed cathedral; ho 19 a promoter of peace. Now I am not surprised that a Presbyterian layman of such virtue, when he sees so much and such gteat wickedness in a Presbyterian minister, should bo "pained very much indeed." I am surprised, however, that a. Presbyterian should quietly assume such virtues and make Such attacks on the character o£ a publio man: anonymously. "Presbyterian" surely cannot be " true Wue " ; the colour must have washed out since. 1862 when he was n- good boy in Knox Church Sunday School. Presbyterians, as a rule, are not smug,' and they are not cowards. I never saw Dr Stuart; my conception o£ his character has been formed by the know* ledgo I have gathered in following in Iris paths, I cannot say what ho would think of tho perfectly courteous question I iavo asked tho Primate, which so far remains unanswered, presumably owing to tho Primate'a absence from town and tho pressure of work. I can say, however, with perfect confidence that the " dear old doctor" never fired at a man from behind a hedge, never stabbed ono in the dark; liever wrote anonymous letters to the papers traducing the character of any public man.' 'I am quite certain also that in Dr Stuart's.warm Celtio Jiaturo there was hearty contempt for a. person capable of such conduct. God made Dr Stuart and me to differ in many \vays, but Ho made us in two points at least not unlike.

In-view of what I haw v/ritten I do not feel called upon to answer " Presbyterian's " question, nor to ropiy , to his condemnation. Having made the unmanliness of his conduct evident, his censures may pass without comment. I think lam justified in calling upon him to correct a mistako aa to a matter of fact in connection with my letter. Tho misstatement is in this sentenco of,his referring to mo:. "Ho (very modestly), speaking on behalf of Presbyterians, takes oil himself to say that theii measure of support will be determined by tho reply received." " Voflry modestly" may stand, but the rest of the sentence should be corrected by "Presbyterian" ov« Ms own name., for it is not true.—l am, etc., Wji. Hewitsox. Knox Church. Manse, June 1.