THE CLUTHA ELECTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18736, 14 December 1922, Page 11

THE CLUTHA ELECTION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—ln your issue of the sth inst. I noted a report, published' by arrangement, of Mr John Edie’s meeting at Tuapeka West, and I crave a little space to give a few facts and allow your readers to judge of the correctness or otherwise of the report. The report states that one elector failed badly in an attempt to corner the candidate. I am that elector, and your informant need not have been thin-skinned about my . name. The meeting had started when I entered, and the candidate very kindly re-read some extracts which he had gone tnrough for the benefit of myself and one or two others who entered at that time. I listened patiently for an hour and a-half for some Liberal politics, but beyond some reference to a Proportional Representative Bill which, after being questioned about it, the candidate stated he could not explain, I heard none. There was just one continual harangue read from newspaper extracts and cuttings in condemnation of the Massey Government and the P.P.A , the latter being the last item in the address. When the chairman invited questions, I said I had a number of questions to ask. Mr Edie had issued his usual challenge to the P.P.A., and had concluded with the statement that ho was informed by a gentleman on a railway station that the P.P.A. was circulating the story that his wife, was a Roman Catholic, and he had also been informed that day, at Tuapeka Flat, that uio church people at Tuapeka West were not going to support him because his sons did not support the Church. I asked Mr Edie whom he was accusing in Tuapeka West, whether it was a member of the church committee, the minister, or a member of the congregation; and. secondly, whom did he accuse about the P.P.A. statement. His answer was that he. had heard it, and that, was all he could say about it I replied, “We do not want any hearsay.” 1 then said that we were not concerned about the P.P.A. supporting Mr Edie; that Mr Edie exhibited in bis hand a pamphlet in which he pledged his support to questions as numbered, one of the •questions having reference to the Marriage Amendment Bill, which Mr Edie opposed in Parliament. “Did you apply this matter to your conscience?” I asked Mr Edie, “or were there any principles involved in signing them, or did you merely endeavour to combine the Catholic Federation and the P.P.A. votes?” Mr Edie started to throwout his challenge to the P.P.A., and then askeu if I had voted for him against Sir James Allen, Now, Sir. this is where I am accused of fencing. But I will give £5 to charity if Mr Edie can prove that he was in his seat, before I was on my feet, and my reply was. “No.” Mr Echo ask"d, “Why didn’t you?” My reply was, “Because I had heard you sneak and believed you did not intend to keep your pledge”; and events proved 1 was not wrong. Although the election is past it might interest your readers to know how Mr Edie got Ids successful meetings and the result of the poll here.—l am, etc., R. Httxter, Juit. Tuapeka West, December 9. [Wo have omitted from the above letter references to various political matters which were not mentioned in the report of Mr Edie’s meeting at Tuapeka West.— Ed. O.D.T.]