SCURRILITY AND THE PRESS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1508, 2 August 1912, Page 4

SCURRILITY AND THE PRESS.

, . J : r is a most unfortunate fact tha o it is impossible to mention newspap 0 ers in the House of Representative: i" to-day without witnessing an unpleasant and uriedifying exhibition ' of venom and spleen, on the part ol 1 a small cluster of members, towards The Dominion. These unhappy poo pic, smarting under a bitter'senst of disappointment at, the loss of of fice, or, maybe, resentful of criiicisn which we have felt called on to inflict, miss no opportunity whiel: 5 presents itself to attack not merely : the paper, but those associated witi: > it, with a violence and vindictivencsf t peculiar to the narrow and intoler - ant. The efforts in this direction s yesterday of Messrs. Lauhenson, Isitt, Hussell, and others eclipsed in some respects all their previous ;> achievements. Me. Laukenson in i particular added to the pagefr ol i Hansard about as choice a collection J of coai'sc find vulgar terms of abuse as will be found anywhere within th( columns of that much-maligned pub lication—that is assuming that on reading our comment, lie does not realise the gravity of his offence anci permits his remarks to appear as uttered. Curiously enough, while do- : grading Parliamentary debate in l this manner, these members prate ol . the necessity for raising the tone oi I our politics; and while making these cowardly attacks under the cover ol their Parliamentary privilege, have the effrontery to proclaim their devo r tion to the canons of fair play. The ■ truth of the matter, no doubt, is that some of the members on the Op- . position side of the House are incap- [ able of facing a reverse with'dignity or courage; and these painful exhibitions aro the outcome. So far as 1 The Dominion is concerned, their ati tacks arc the best evidence that could bq_ given of the effectiveness'of its criticism. With the, members as private individuals, the paper has no concern, though- it may deplore the : fact, that it has had to fight- against such sorry foes, and that it has now found them to be such pathetically . poor losers. It is with their public actions, however, that it has been in disagreement, and with which, from time to time, it has been forced to find fault; and jt is gratifying to , know that public opinion has en- | dorse cl the view it has taken. ProbL fibly coursc of time even Ptirlia,ment will become as disgusted as the public already is with these pettv / and unedifying exhibit-ions on the • n art ?/ members elected to attend to , the affairs of the nation.