THE LATE PERSONATION TRIAL TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 1598, 8 July 1882, Page 19

THE TRIAL TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— ln last .Friday's Witness your Rivcrton correspondent gives his opinion of the feeling of t.ho residents of Kiverton and the Wallace district "re the late personation cases." I presume you do not identify yourself with the politic.vl opinions of "your own," as he is woll known as an extreme Eadical, and a thick -and-thin supporter of Mr Daniel. If his letter had been published in the Southland News, or any paper of that class, it would not be worth noticing ; but ap nearing: in a paper sueh /as the Witness, which is read by persons of every shade of politics, strangers to the Wallace district and the proclivities of " your own " might believe that his is a correct statement o! the feeling of the district. To enable them to form a just opinion on the subject, I hope you will find room m your next issue for what I think is a truo statement of the position. In the first place, Mr Daniel was returned by less than a fifth of the electors of Wallace, having polled 264 votes out of over 1600 on the roll, upwards of 200 of his votes being contributed by Catholic s, who gave him a block vote on the education question, his personal friends and their followers making up the balance. His majority of one was obtained by his placing his son and nephew on the roll, well knowing them to be under age, both of their names being struck off the roll after the election for that- reason, as well as by a considerable amount o£ roll-stuffing, which is proved by bid prosecution by the Registrar. Although Mr Daniel escaped by a fluke, the Judge characterised his conduct as highly improper, he having, in fact, "attested false documents," but his Honor thought the^o had been no miscarriage of justice, as the persons put on the roll were duly qualified. No doubt that was -the case, but nevertheless Mr Uaniel pained his end -viz , his election, which he stated in his speech on his reception night was all ha cared about. He had evidently taken the advice said to have been given by a father on his death-bed to his sons—" Make money honestly, if you can ; but make it." Mr Daniel has adopted this maxim, in a political instead of a pecuniary sense. You will, I think, agre o with me that Mr Daniel does not represent the electo.s of Wallace, but only a section of them.

Your own " also quotes a portion of Mr Booth's speech made on the same auspicious evening, that "flight had- triumphed over raijjht." I think that remark came with a very bad grace from Mr Booth, who escaped being put upon hid trial in the manner accomplices sometimes do— viz., by turning Queen's evidence ; the only differenco being that he was coiu» pulled to give evidence

Now as regards the enthusiastic reception accorded Mr Daniel on his return homo after tho trial. Two or three of Mr Daniel's friends had been busy all day trying to cfet -up the "enthusiastic reception," and engaged five men (not " the hand ") to play two cornets, a euphonium, and two drums, the young folks hearing "the band," turned out in considerable numbers, thus forming tho " e/ithusiasfclc reception." A 9 a teat of either the personal or political feeling the electors have for* Mr Daniel, the demonstration was worth nothing, but as an attempt to make a political martyr of *him it was very well conceived indeed.— I am, &c,

Riverfcon, July 3rd.