Wairarapa standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. MONDAY, JULY 25, 1887. Mr Bunny and "Bursting Up.”

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2096, 25 July 1887, Page 2

Wairarapa standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. MONDAY, JULY 25, 1887. Mr Bunny and "Bursting Up.”

We are rejoiced to see that our various remarks concerning Mr Bunny’s “ bursting up ” and socialistic tendencies have thoroughly aroused that gentleman to the folly and impropriety of his attempts to set class against class. Wo regret, for Ms sake, that his denial of any such intentions should have been couched in the disgraceful language employed in his Carterton sheet under date July 21, but of course if Mr Bunny deems that his cause is advanced by calling his political opponents “ liars,” &c., we are content to allow him to be the best judge of his own affairs. “ When you have no case abuse the other side,” is an ancient Old Bailey maxim which we must suppose Mr Bunny still believes in. We can quite understand that the words aad tone adopted by Mr Bunny when excited by the applause of a section ot his audience, appear injudicious when recalled in cooler moments. We have said that Mr Bunny’s speech was an attempt to set class against class. This has been denied We reiterate the statement. The whole tendency of his speech was to depreciate not only the wealthy but even the well-to-do, and exalt those who had not been so fortunate.

Glancing over our notes we find at a very early stage of his Carterton address the words : “ Tbn burdens should be put on the wealthy.”

Turning to Mr Bunny’s own sheet (July 5) we find; the words :

" All they bad to do was to adjust the saddle to the right backs—the wealthy classes —who could bear the burden (applause).”

A little later—we quote from Mr Bunny’s sheet—he said

“ Look at their steamers, their banks making fortunes ; tbeir lawyers, doctors, and judges ; they ought to contribute from their handsome incomes a fair amount towards the cost of Government.” The inevitable inference of course being that these classes do not coutri bule their fair share. Referring again to our own notes we find Mr Bunny referred to successful settlers as ; “ These men came poor and now ate rich.’ And again : , “ These men draw their thousanjla' which are spent in London.” In speaking of ths-Defenco Depart ment Mr Bo£iij% though bolding local military rank, referred to some of his brother officers by name (we q\lote from Stakdaed) as follows

“ There is, I believe a commission coming out consisting of Colonels Boddarn, Sha.v. and Sir G. Whitmore, and what is the use of it to ub as a colony; it is meat ana drink to the members of the commission.”

These extracts, the whole lone of Mr Bunny’s speech, and his suggestive manner prove that he attempted to set class against class. Our readers tiud the hearers of Mr Bunny’s address will be the best judges of the side on which misrepresentation exists. It is denied that Mr Bunny declared his desire to “ burst up ’’ large estates. His own organ reports him (July 5) as follows

“ By a progressive tax be meant that the man who owned 50,000 acres should pay mote per acre than the small owner (loud applause). 11 a man owned an enormous estate and only kept a lew shepherds he wonld touch him np, and perhaps break hint up."

Mr Bunny used the terms “ burst them up ” and “ touch them up ’’ on more than one occasion during his Carterton address. However, we are glad to see that he is now ashamed of the way in which he spoke of classes to whom he is under many obligations, and to which by, his education and training he beW.gs. We sincerely trust that M r Bunny’s sympathies are, as he asserts, with small settlers and working men, for we know no class more entitled to sympathy and respect. At the same time Mr Bunny’s pretences that he is the natural champion of these classes, that hr bn... any real “ community of interests ” with them is absurd.