Dignified Journalism!

Manawatu Standard, Volume 3, Issue 60, 3 February 1883, Page 2

Dignified Journalism!

Some writers on the public press are adepts m the art ot personal abuse and calling names. "V^hen Dun O'Connell was abused by a Dublin' fishtagj who exhausted b/er choicest vocabulary of Billingsgate him, he completely shut up his' opponent by calling her a rhomboid,) a parallelogram, :an obtuse angled-triangle, a hvpoth< j neuse, &c. The fishfag was not-used to' this style of rejoinder, was nonplussed, and- sue. cumbed forthwith, completely vanquished, thinking ?her opponent could blackguard her m much finer style than' she herself; could Approach. < >ur local contemporary is specially gifted m the way of name-calling, and m last night's paper, used the choice epithet printed m italics, too, of •? nncernficated bankrupt." This is a regular crusher. Could be backed up by a good legal dictionary, find nothing stronger? It is veryi dignified v arid proper/ no doubt, to taunt a man with pecuniary misfortune, and to drag m tamUyV affairs.: Oh. one occasion, the same writer-- wrote to! the proprietor of the Standard, supplying a whole sheet <rf.; paragraphs clipped from this?pape>j 'which he -said were libellous, and which he had been advised to proceed against either criminally or civilly. He went : on ' to say, *' But as I formerly preached the Gospel of Christ, I could : not .entertain sach an idea." We will ask him does the Gospel of Christ teach him to deride his fellow^man. because he has been un» fdrtuSate ; fand, as is well • mown, through no fault or dishonesty on his part. We don't know, howevei, that we should expect any better treatment after the persecution of which the Rev Mr Wilson has been the unfortunate victim. But is Buch co'riducfc manly; is it consistent with professions of relig,, ion, or with a proper spirit ? Now that the financial feature has been touched upon, it is a pity thai the public should not be enlightened a little further. The article m question, together with a most improper letter received, from the same source, Mve been sent through to Mr McKelvie, to show him the kind of man, who displayed such a forbearing disposition, because he " formerly preached •the Gospel- of Christ": -