A MISCHIEF MAKING NEWSPAPER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 106, 31 August 1880, Page 2

A MISCHIEF MAKING NEWSPAPER.

■■■ '• ♦" — : • The Rangitikei Advocate is evidently setting up amongst the journals of this Coast in the same character as that we sometimes see in society, — an old woman who travels abont mischief making, and endeavoring to twist and contort the sayings of others for the purpose of causing unpleasantness. In Saturday's issue of the Advocate we find the following paragraph, whioh we publish as an instance of the Advocate's style of journalism : — " The Manawatu Herald Bays : •Mr Lash, who but recently was "raised from the commoii herd to the dunl dignity of a member of the Manchester Highways Board and Manawatu County Council, has found the burden of his honours too great, and resigned both.' Mr Lash oan well afford to laugh at the paltry spite of the Foxton scribe. It would be interesting* to know what is, the pripin of this antipathy to a person .who has always conducted himself as a gentleman, and a «* nacientir-uB representative. Comparisons ay be odious, but a comparison between Mr Lash and Lis libeller would be much against the latter. As to !Vr Lash's being * recently raised from the common herd,' we would remind the Foxton scribe that ' those 'who live in glass houses shonld not throw agones.'" We will reply to the above insinuations, by quoting the following paragraph, which appeared in the issue of the Manawatu Hehald before that from which our | mischief making contemporary quotes : — " Count* Council Vacancy. — Mr Lash, who was elected for the Manchester Riding upon Mr Halcombe's retirement, has resigned, having found that the time occupied by the meetings of the Council cab be spent more profitably to himself. While in the Council Mr Lash did not take a very active part in the proceedings, but we saw enough of him to know that he would prove a useful and independent member. His resignation is therefore to Be regjfcted." How now, Mr Advocate? Is it likely that after referring to an estimable gentlemen ingfthose terms, we would say the nasty bim in the following issue you matfsF out. No, Sir, when a donkey looks in the water he sees his own faoe, and it is foolish of you to interpret o :r sayings according to, your own paltry ' spirit, and blame us for your interpretation. The expression our con temporary .complains of ," the common hord,'' 'is a catifem one amongst all w rterß, signifyinir^^^xplain for the benefit or ike Advocate) the ordin- " ary or common mass of men, and the paragraph simply remarked in rather figurative language Mr Lash baa been raised from the level of his fellow-ratepayers to the double position of M. C. C. and M. H. B. 1% the previous i _ue we had explained the reason of his retirement to be the amount of time r

Occupied by his publio positions. We therefore remarked briefly that Mr Lash had found the burden entailed by his honors too great, and had consequently,, resigned both positions. We apologise to our readers for taking up so muoh .time and space in this explanation, but the desire to simplify our remarks to the level of the Advocate's paragraphist is the reason We have said that the expression " the- common herd " is generally used in a figurative sense. Applied to moat people it would mean, the common herd of men, but applied t*> people of the class the writer of the paragraph in the Advooate belongs to it would mean the " common herd of asses."