PERTINENT.

Southland Times, Issue 3027, 11 March 1878, Page 2

PERTINENT.

(TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.) Sib, — Politics apart, it would be doing education a eemce to practice the art of thinking on >'ir OJeorge Grey's recent apeoch. It iB really a fine field of exerciae, and as inviting to the exact thinker as a fine cricket ground is to the lovers of that manly game. In trespassing on your space, I do not (or a moment wish to trespass on your preserve, viz.. leading publto opinion. I merely wish to practise with your readers the nobl ■ art of o 'rrect reasoning in search of simple truth, and the ready detection of fal acy. The speech in question abounds in good examples of fine reasoning, as well as many examples of assumption and fallacy. For ezample, on manhood suffrage, he tacitly admits that the early settler who has toiled long years in difficulties, amounting to hardship, is entitled to a greater say in the management of the country he his made by his perseverance, than the penniless arrival of yesterday, but assumes that virtually this would be the case, inasmuch as the man " who has long served a district and advanced its interests, will have a following of fifty." Ib this sure to be the case? Is it not mv -h more likely that the poor new chum will rather follow a stump orator who promises to work the oracle bo as to redistribute the good things earned by the original settler through long years of privation, eelf-denial, and almost superhuman toil ? Is it not much more likely that the poor drunkard referred to by Sir George Grey will bestow his following on the demagogue, who promises to tax the incomes of the Good Templars in order to remove the tax from whiskey? Is it not certain that the loafer will bestow his following on the spendthrift agitator who promises to secure to him cheap brea 1 and luxuries at the expense of the provMent and the industriouß ? Let your readers examine this assumption well, and when they have made up their minds what to cail it I will supply you with another.— Yours. &c, NEQUia.