The Pahiatua Star (Published Tuesdays and Fridays.) FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2. 1887.

Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 124, 2 September 1887, Page 2

The Pahiatua Star (Published Tuesdays and Fridays.) FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2. 1887.

Mr \\ . (.'. Smith lias at last announced Ins intention of addressing the electors in the Forty-Mile llush. Ou Tuesday evening next he will occupy the Pahiaitia platform, and on Wednesday l.ketahiina will he favored with his presence. A great deal has been said about giving lnui a •• warm reception,” but we feel sure this threat will not be earned into execution. Mr Smith is a candidate we do not favor in the slightest degree ; nevertheless we appeal to the electors to give him a fair hearing. If any elector has a grievance against Mr Smith, opportunity will be atlordod at the conclusion of his address for ventilating it, and for the credit of the Forty-Mile Bush we ask that the same consideration l>e shown Mr \V. C. Smith as was extended to Messrs Mclardle and Baker.

Wt have received the following letter from Mr Johnson, the Returning Officer for the Woodville district, rc spectmg the Mungamahoe pullingbooth :

Waipawa, August 80. 1887. Dkvk Sir.-- Mr McUardle handed me a re.piest signed by fifi |iersons. waking that a pulling place ahutilil bo appointed near Maugumalioe, at 8 p.m. on Thursday night. I examined and rejvorted ou it next day l Friday), and on the same day posted a to Wellington ; hut nt 9 p.m. on that day the writs wers issued, and it would he too late, saifyou refer to section fi, “ Heguls n of Electors Act, 1882,” you will see that a says—“ After the issue of the » t for an election for any district, ai i until such elecliou is uvor, no tintnge

shall bo made in the polling places ap. pointed for such district." Nevertheless, i forwarded the document by the earliest post, and when I receive a reply I will inform you of its nature. Whoever was in charge of the memorial ought to have hurried it up sooner—one day would have saved it so that it could be considered. In connection with the above we can only remark that Mr Johnson lias seemingly forgotten that Mr McCardle made application for a polling-booth at Mungamahoe a month ago—both to the Returning Officer and the Hon. Mr Buckley ; likewise that Messrs Beethain and McCardle waited on the latter gentleman on the 19th August and made an urgent appeal on behalf of the Mangamahoe and Masterton electors, but to no purpose. Mr Johnson’s explanation is not satisfactory. A grievous injury has been done to a large section of electors, which could easily have been avoided.

The triangular contest at Masterton has been lively from the start, and if one or other of tho candidates (and possibly an editor or two) are not so mangled as to be unrecognisable bypoll day, it will be a wonder. “ F’reethouglit Ivo ”is in the swim. He and the Star have been ink-slinging for some time a regular rough-and-tumble ; and all about Freethougbt. What this subject lias to do with the issues before the country we are at a loss to know, but that it is occupying a very important place ill the minds of Masterton candidates and electors is borne out by the repeated reference to the subject in the local papers ; and judging from the tone of the letter published below a breach of the peace is imminent. Mr Hawkins is in as fine a pelt as it is possible to imagine over Freethougbt; he rubs it into Mr Paton in such a style that the latter i 3 compelled to exclaim, “We can only regard it as emanating from a person whose mind is unhinged by passion and resentment.” Slanderer 1 liar ! coward ! is pretty stiff medicine ; this is the dose Mr Hawkins has made up for Mr Paton—and all about Freetliought ! These are terms that make the Britishers hair stand on end—lie does’nt like being called a liar, or a coward, or a slanderer ; blood is spilt when one man is rash enough to make such an accusation against another. How will it he at Masterton ? The following letter appeared in the Daily, having been addressed personally to Mr Paton, editor, by Mr R. S. Hawkins :

Sir, —Every step you take in this matter makes contact with you more and more repulsive. You first insert a cowardly letter in effect charging me with having offered to become President of the Freethought Association. You next inserted that to your owu knowledge your correspondent had substantial grounds for the statement. Y'ou had at the time no such knowledge, but were trying to find someone who would lend himself to the he. The whole charge is a pure fabrication without any foundation whatever. David Stone made the lie, your over garrulous reporter S. H. Wickerson indorsed the lie, and you, J. A. Payton, published tho lie. Y'ou three combined to injure me in the opinion of the electors. Finding the ground slipping from under your feet, you added a new charge of gross hypocrisy. This charge you know is false, but as persons in a more responsible position than yourself started the charge, I shall, if I am permitted to use the evidence 1 have, deal with them at a further date. Y’ou now insert a sort of apology which is so mean and contemptiblo iu its dishonesty that it only adds to your offence, and, to cover your retreat you publish another deliberate falsehood signod D. S. rapworth. Now I have seen a member of the F’reethought committee and others whom I have not seen personally have been interviewed. I referred iu my first lotter to you, to letters by me published in January, 1886, in your columns attacking Messrs Bacon and Kaisenberg on their Freethougbt deliverances. lam assured that though both in committee, and at the evening meetings those were discussed at the time, neither Mr Bacon nor Mr Kaisenberg nor any other member of the Society over hinted that I had at any time expressed Froethought opinions, much less offered to bo President or been invited to become President of tho Association. I now call upon you to insert iu your next issue the following apology, viz.—“ I admit that the charge published in my columns to the effect that Mr Hawkins offered to he President ef a Freethougbt Association is false, and that I have no evidence whatever that he has ex'er been a Freethinker, and I apologise to my readers and himself for having given currency to the statement. Signed, J. A. Payton, editor Wairarapa Daily." In default of your so doing I shall tuke such steps as I may he advised to brand yon as a common slanderer, a liar, and a coward.”