THE HIGH SCHOOL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3545, 8 February 1886, Page 3

THE HIGH SCHOOL.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMAKU HERALD. Sib,— lt is always amusing to see men m the height of their wrath rushing into print. It docs one's soul good to occasionally read such an effusion as graced your columns on Saturday. A worthy citizen, we will suppose, has some of his tender little points gently touched up by a good-humored and apt quotation or two, he becomes wrathful, and m his indignation he seeks redress by writing to the paper a scathing letter m which he attempts to annihilate somebody, no matter whom. We havo a. beautiful example of such a result m " Citizen's " epistle referred to. Like a pugilist out of temper he slashes round, and his blows of courao fall without doing much damage. The whole of his letter is founded on a wrong assumption as to the authorship of the epistle he is attacking. He fails utterly to Bee how the common rule of consistency m men's thoughts, and actions is violated by Captain Sutter's late proposals ; the rest of it consists of abuse of a scurrilous character, because it is untrue; and so far as rationality is concerned it has not a traco of it m it. A littlo quotation — admitted by himself to be " felicitous " — has put tny fellow citizen on his beam ends. Allow mo, m a few words, to give your correspondent just a small piece of advice m the way of a mild reproach for his very inconsiderate and hasty epistle. Next timo you allow yourself to favor us with a letter do try and " take it coolly." Don't let the imaginings of your own heated brain run away with you, and let solo facts and the ordinary ethical principles of everyday life have some email place m the intellectual region of your mind, when replying to a mild little note like mine. Please don't make unfounded assumptions and then on these as a basis launch forth abuse and absurdities, thus exposing yourself to a charge of senseless and ungentlemanly scurrility. If a man can't write without allowing the worst aspect of his mind to show itself so prominently, "better that a millstone were hanged about his neok, &c." But my business is not to deal with the mental calibre of your correspondent, and with these few remarks as to the injustice of his, let me m a word or two say something of the point m debate. " Citizen " asks, what was there wrong m Mr Slitter's proposal that Mr Ziesler should be nominated as a life member of the High Sohool Board of Governors, and then that a week or more after hiß proposed nomination had not " come off," he turns round and takes up the cudgels against the very appointment itself into which he was wanting to get his nominee. Forsooth! Mr " Citizen "can sco nothiug wrong m it. I'm sorry for him then. If he can't there are a great many who can. Of course it muy bo Mr Slitter's or his henchman's method of doing business— to violate all rules of consistency, which, obtaiq uot m lo^io alone,

but do or certainly ought to, m men's actions. To the minds of the majority of unprejudiced observers the transaction will appear queer • that is, Mr Sutter's reasons already given us are not sufficient to account for his sudden change. Your correspondent blandly says, " I do not know whether he has done so or not," i.e., nominate Mr Ziesler; and again, " I doubt if he could make a better choice." As to the latter remark, I have not a word to say. I have not the slightest doubt but that Mr Ziesler would make an efficient member of the Board, and so far as that is concerned, I have not the slightest antagonism to his appointment. Of course, " Citizen " doesn't know whether Mr Sutter nominated him or not. Oh ! of course not. Why, he hardly ever sees him, and knows almost nothing of our member's actions! His whole letter is written m such a manner that one can exactly perceive where the truth lies j and my little attempt at interrogating our friend " Citizen," by giving him a Blight touch on the raw, has been very successful. How the transaction will look m the eyes of Mr Stout, who, I presume, is m tho habit of weighing matters carefully m the balance, I dare not conjecture. My quotation from Bret Harte does indeed seem to have been made with " felicity," but I can also inform " Citizen " that m addition to studying " Latin rhyme " and " sublime epics," I have also paid some attention to the Btudy of Iogio ; and, m addition, I conduct any correspondence I indulge m, to the best of my ability, m a gentlemanly manner. I avoid giving back hand blows, and making stupid errors m assigning correspondence to those who are quite unaware of the writer's name or whereabouts. In conclusion, allow me to tell " Citizen" that his mud has been slung m the wrong quarter this time, and that his " bombastical" bombshell has exploded without injury or even scorching anyone. Mr Editor, I owe you an apology for thus trespassing on your space, but I promise not to bother you again until some more unprejudiced correspondent takes up the cudgels. I am, &c, Meliobes Pbiobbs.