MR EARNSHAW'S CHARGES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13374, 29 August 1905, Page 6

MR EARNSHAW'S CHARGES.

■TO THE EDITOR. Sir-In your issue of the 24th inst.Mr Jiarnshaw feebly seeks to justify and excus» ius recent utterances. His suggestion that 1 have made a-"political attempt to create ■sympathy " is characteristic, and I shall not refer' to it further except to say that he evidently expects mo to remain silent and allow calumnious, statements to bo made regarding myself without giving them any public contradiction. 1. Mr Earnshaw now says that he did not accuse me personally in connection with the distribution of tobacco. Let mo point lout that ho made no such explanation in his remarks. His references had no meaning unless they referred to the action of myself or my committee. Tho charge was liiade in- conjunction with the statement that he could have- upset my election, and that stamped it as a charge against cither myeelf or my committee. I rosent tho accusation as. much respecting my committee as regarding myself, but no distinction was drawn between us, and it is therefore incorrect and quite inconsistent with the whole of tho context to say that there was no personal accusation against me in the language complained of.

2. Now Sir Eurnsliaw says my "assertions arc not evidences." What evidence does ho want? I have publicly denied the charge, and the chairman of my Oavorsham Committee denied it at my recent meeting. That Mr .Enrnshaw should non- ask lor further evidence; is only an exemplification of the. unfairness of making such charges after tho lapse of three years, and (o assert that the denials given are not evidence is oiily adding insult to injury. Tho proper course was open to him in 1902. The quotation which ho givee from his 1902 speech is not to the point, and, further, there is nothing cither in tho quotation or the speech connecting mo or my committee with corrupt practice and requiring denial on my part. 3. I was amazed to road Mr Earnshaw's statement that he had never done mo an injustice, and that it was untrue that ho had. vilified mo in his recent speech in South Dunedin. I leave it to those who are familiar with all that was said by Mr Earneliaw .in tho last contest to say whether he did me an injustice or not, and I leave it to any impartial mind to read Mr Earnshaw's recent remarks with his reference to n "teacher in-a Sunday school" to say whether tho imputations contained in his remarks' are not a vilification of myself. If they aro not I do not know tho meaning of_ tlie word. Had Mr Earnshaw beon as fair minded ae ho would like it to' bo believed, instead of making an attempt at justification ho would have accepted "my denial and expressed regret, or apology. ,%.' I take tho' opnortunity- of expressing myself iu> grateful "to note that in your editorial columns, which only camo under mynotice a day or two after I had posted to you my last letter, you expressed disapprobation of Mr Earnshaw's remarks in this connection. If he wishes to have the "good, clean, honest" fight that-he is so fond of proclaiming to tig world to be desired by him let him refrf in from personalities. I can assure him that if he docs so he will have no cause for complaint on that score so far as I am concerned.— I am,- etc.,. T. K. Sidet. Wellington, August 26.