Those 'Testimonials.'

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 20, 17 May 1900, Page 4

Those 'Testimonials.'

2-3 (c/) The editor of the Gitaidian tells us that Slittery's committee gave ' testimony ' -that the originals of th • testimonials certifying to the troo'l charac er, k.n . of ex-pri< ht Matiery were genuine.' The committee di 1 no such thing. We fancy the reverend eeneral editor of the X /.. Guardian has not vet learned the meaning of the unqualified word ' testimo y.' The committee merely gave it as their opinion that the originals of Slavery's certificates were genuine — which is & very different thing. In this matter Slattery's committee were easily satisfied. Copies of the ' testimonals ' t xamined are in our pesession, At both our interviews Mr Graham admitted that except in the case of one document, the committee had no external evidence of the genuineness of Slattery's 'testimonials' beyond the mere word of Slattery himself. Again : (&) In our pamphlet, Joseph Slattery (p. 12), we merely quoted Slattery's statement as to the story of his expulsion from Colgate University (U.S.A.) We expressed and express no opinion whatever as to the truth or falsehood of the charge. We merely remarked ' Strangely enough, Slattery himself, though thus referring to the charge, makes no explicit denial of it whatever. And a letter which he quotes from Dr. Dodge (dated August 11, lsS'.i)as a "refutation, 1 ' contains no refei'en^e to the matter.' The statements just quoted are absolutely true. On May Swe showed the copy of Dr. Dodge's letter in Slattery's pamphlet to Mr. Graham. He admitted that the committed had no evidence of the genuineness of the original beyond Slattery's unsupported word, he was unable to state w hether Slattery spent a second term in Colgate University, and admitted that, pending further information, there was not one word in Dr. Dodge's letter inconsistent with the statement of Slattery's alleged expulsion being true. The ' testimony ' of the committee on this, as on other matter:-, leaves things exactly -where it found them. (c)The General Editor of the X.Z. G nurd inn informs his readers that ' certain Dunedin citizens , pi uraF knew the handwriting of some of the writers "plural] who certified to the good character of Mr. Slattery He makes this statement in connection with his references to the report of Slattery's committee. We have come across no such statement in the report, and have only been able to discover that the signaturfl of out certificate was recognised by o/o Dunedin citi/en — Mr. Graham, to wit. And this oertifnate, which was written by an English Baptist clergyman, merely testifies (as Mr. Graham admittel to us) to this • tha 1 Slattery came to Kngland from America having recommendatory documents in his po-^setsion ' Only that and nothing more. Be it noted that we cast no doubt upon the genuineness of Slattery s so-called • testimonials of character ' with the exception of two which, on the face of them, are dubious, and which have been left in that state by his Dunedin committee. On May s we placed before Mr Graham, in his office, in the presence of a witness, a pamphlet of Slattery's containing copies of all the 'testimonials examined by him (Mr. Graham) and his committee, and and requested him to point out any one of them which touched or qualified or palliated the serious charge- wh'ch we made, pubhshi d, and are prepand to prove against the unfortunate ex-priest and his female acjomplicc Mr Graham frankly admitted that none of the Slattery ' testimonials examined touched our charges against either the male or the fttnale partner in this roving lecturing business. Tn a word, tbe testimonials' leave the character of the wretched pair just where they found it.