WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1878.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 60, 8 May 1878, Page 2

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1878.

IjOBi) Bacon has said "knowledge is power ; " but a later authority — Lord Lytton, we believe — has also, observed, *' a little knowledge is a dangerous thing." Assuming that there exists equal truth in both sayings, if know--ledge be power, yet a limited modicum prove a dangerous commodity, ifc must necessarily follow that the smaller the 'knowledge the greater the danger. Admitting the logic of the deduction, then and giving it a local application, the Palmerston correspondent of the " New Zealand Tiroes " must be a highly dangerous character indeed. In his last contribution to that paper he has surpassed himself in his childish drivel, and were it not that the letter contains a deliberate and malignant untruth, would be productive of nothing heyond a smile. The writer takes exception to our grammar and construction, and sneers at the use of words such as <4 a hotel" and "agentic wires." Poor boy ! he is but yet in his swaddling olothes, and has much to learn before his criticism becomes worthy of notice. It is but. two d*ys since the same young gentleman took us to task in the matter of orthography, but ere we were done with him he had to humbly eat the leek and cry peocavi. When the " Times " Correspondent has a little more experience, he will find that there are very many words which use and custom have made proper, not to be found in his spelling book, and that sentences although perhaps written grammatically may often be the veriest twaddle. We .do not wonder at his finding fault with the construction of aur sentences : they were written that he should do so ; but we question yery inuch if the construction, as disagreeable as the" contents. We have b,een. too long following journalism as a profession to pay the slighest attention to the captious critcism of amatuer scribblers ; but our experience has been that 'that very class is by far the most dangerous. Barren of thought, void of intelligence, hazy in principle, it.stops' at nothing to carry an end, and having no journalistic reputation to sustain, veracity is thrown aside. As an instance, the correspondent of the "Timps" writes : " Poetry cribbed wholesale, and signed by the editor as his own compogi-

tion, such, as " The Printer'* Devil " from A Sala." The writer of the piece in question never imagined it to be poetry ; in his estimation it was merely rhyme. There is as much, difference between poetry and rhyme, as between a journalist and — —well, the " Times " Correspondent. Nevertheless, humble as the verses were, they were written by the person whose name was attached. Our critic disputes that fact, "and asserts that it was written by a George Sala, from whom it was " cribbed wholesale." To prpve the truth, or falsity of the statement the writer of the verses is prepared topufc down £5, if the "Times' " Correspondent will do likewise, and should lie produce a copy published in any journal prior to the date on which they appeared in the "Manawatu Times," the iJS of the supposed author to be given to some charity ; but in the event, of the (t Times' " Correspondent failing to do so, his deposit to be used in a similar manner. Should he refuse to takV up this challenge, he will stand convicted of circulating a deliberate untruth, and branded as a contemptible maligner and slanderer.