THE ' TRIBUNE ' AND THE MONUMENT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XVII, Issue 2427, 8 May 1874, Page 2

THE ' TRIBUNE ' AND THE MONUMENT.

(To the Editor of the Chronicle.) Sir, — Writers of letters in your columns have already referred in terms only too xnild to the bad spirit, bad taste and I might say bad breeding of the ' Tribune ' and its corresr pondent as displayed in the miserable attack made on Mr Watt in connection with the roaring a monument to" the memory of his late partner. But after hearing those who have the best means of knowing all about the matter, I have to charge your contemporary or his correspondent, with a gross and dis honest .misrepresentation of foots. There was something akin to this, I saw in my first perusal of. the ' Tribune's ' criticism, when it Baid by implication that Mr Watt was not " overcome with emotion," , but only said so., The fact is that Mr Watt was so affected and that very deeply, but never said so. This however I thought too sacred to be raked up again and had it been the only misrepresentation made by this unscrupulous critic I would have let it alone. But I now beg the attenr tion of your contemporary, to the following, sentences — " It was consequently by an almost mutual impulse that the people of Wanganui contemplated shortly after Mr Taylor's accidental death the erection of some public monument to his memory. The project however, had not much more than taken . shape, when Mr W. H. Watt, the other partner of the firm of Taylor and Watt, stepped forward

I and desired to have such a part in the pro- - ceedings that many of those who had already . interested themselves in the matter, felt it r bitter for various reasons tc allow the Junior f Partner to go about the thing in his own i way." Thse statements I have now the means , of proving to be grossly untrue aud I am con--1 vinced moreover that the editor of the • Trir bune ' must know them to be untrue. ',' The erection of the monument to Mr Taylor 5 -was talked of by few persons (of whom Mr ' Hutchison was hot. one) but the project had j not taken any shape, and Mr Watt never i '-. stepped forward desiring to have a part in ; j the proceeding at all. If Mr H. says that he ■ I and his friends talked this matter on their i own account, be it so. They mew nothing , I of Mr Watt's intention until some considera- , - ble while after it was being carried into "effect. , The 'first intimation that Mr Watt gave of his wish, was in the form of a polite request | I addresed to a certain body of Wanganui Townsmen that he be allowed to erect a naonuinent tb his late partner on a certain Bpot , which was under their charge. The request ' was granted and the thing is done ; and I 1 verily think that " political differences of opinion" should not have prevented even the : Editor of the 'Tribune' from recognising the praiseworthyness of such an act, or if he could, ■ not feel in, his heart to recognise anything good either in Mr Watt's sayings or doing, he might have had discretion enough to be silent or at any rate not to allow without contradiction the printing of a statement, which is a mean and uninitigited falsehood, namely that certain Wanganui Townsmen gave up the project of erecting a monument to Capt. Taylor because Mr Watt stepped forward and desired to have a prominent part in the 'proceeding. This I say is not true and the editor of the ' Tribune ' knows that it is not true. Nothing but ' the bitterest animosty could I have led the ' Tribune ' to f jrce such a discussion as this upon anyone; and I think ; 1 the honor and dignity of the Press forgotten, j when an editor allows personal dislike to go j ranting into a churchyard, breaking in upon the soleurity of the unveiling of a cenotaph, ' which was the only funeral service the people of Wanganui had the opportunity of attending in connection with the death of their late ; lamented townsman. — I am, <fee. • K.