Mr Bunny’s “Journalistic ” Friends.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2092, 15 July 1887, Page 2

Mr Bunny’s “Journalistic ” Friends.

We regret for Mr Bunny’s sake that our courteous remarks concerning him should have been the means of again inundating the editorial and (bogus) correspondence columns of the ' Observer * with another torrent of Mr Hogg’s blackguardism and mendacity. We can assure Mr Bunny that many of bis supporters are beginning to ask whether there is not something weak in a cause that is attempted to be bolstered up by such contempt tible tactics. Further than this we shall not here notice the two issues named. The ' Ob* server ’ of Tuesday 12th has a few assertions coached in slightly mote decent language, and on these wc will iw» comment. Wo are glad to perceive Mr Bunny has had the good sense to acknowledge that his attempts to sot class against class Lave been a failure, and that he cow states, through the ‘ Obsorver,’ that he desires to support principles and measures “ designed not far the benefit of any one class.” Ko has further and emphatically declared that he does not give his faith to bit iiobeit Stout. We conclude therefore, if elected, Mr Bunny will be a law unto himself and remain one of those ineocveuiaut persons, an “ independent member.” He has evidently made up his politic*-! mind to wait, like the excellent Macawber, for anything that may “ turn up.” “ Lot the old huts go out and the new hats go in ” i.. ne are told, his “ happy” manner of expressing his wish to bo regarded as a “ new hat.” We have, however, before pointed out that Mr Bunny is himself, politically speaking, an ” old hat,” consequently if the electors tako him at his word he will be among the “ outs, ”

Touching the statement that the Stahdabd has " distorted ” Itfr Baany’s meaning rela—tive to taxation, we can assure Mr Bunny we should be heartily sorry to misrepresent him in any way. The continual misrepresentation and distortion which occurs in tile * Observer ’ is alone sufficient to disgust ue with such weapons, even were we—which we are not—in the habit of using them. But how have we distorted Mr Bunny’s meaning ? We represented, in our review of his Carterton address, that he declared taxation should fall npon the wealthy, and that he desired to ;• break np ” owners of large estates, and this is not only the logical inference from what he said bat precisely what he did say. Noi doubt Mr Bunny in cooler moments sees the folly of this class crusade, and lawyer-like, is anxious to qualify his socialistic assertions, but that is no business of ours. We shatr record facts and no amount of personal abase will induce us to record anything else, either to please Mr Bunny or Mr Hogg. Violent exception is taken to our remark regarding Mr Bunny's lack of earnestness. Mr Bunny must remember that be challenges public criticism and that every citizen in the conn-, try has the right to pass his opinion npon Mr Bonny os a politician., Why, even such men as Mr Gladstone are criticised, and surely Mr Bunny would not claim exemption. Is it a tenet of liberalism to suppress the free expression of public opinion? Mr Bnnny forgets that the freedom ef the press in English speaking countries was won quite a number of years ago. Does he wish to mg it now? It was and is our opinion that Mr Bunny lacks true earnestness. Doubtk-a he is earnest enough in his desire to get m the House, but he is not earnent in the cause of democracy. How can ho be ? His education, training and associations are against it. Why, his very desire, expressed so often lately in the ‘ Observer,’ to muzzle the press which does not believe in him is proof that he is i really as Conservative as an English country 1 Tory. , But, we are told, he has proved his earnestness by having now the same set of political I opinions he had 23 years ago. That may be, I but he has changed them rather frequently < in the interval. Wh- on ;j- ree yearß , a. -norudon election in April ’B4, he said he 1 would “ prefer a property and income tax to 1 a land tax*” -On July 3, 1887, be preferred 1 “aland and income tax." If then, to bold 1 thi, same Opinions new he held 2d years a,;o < bn proof oi earnestness, i„ must oe, ijy ihu - Sumo j, : t;aouuo if<, a proof tuaii he ' hj earnOptness if uo ore—and ne has alters., miooo opinions. The leiu-oninp /,,,i ouio. ii-: - p'hi-o. v’u/s, un i•i uhe Concm,, ! the ‘ Observers ‘ tueuisunprove that «ii j i Bumiy iu not an iwmooru*. i ''