THE Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1879. DISREPUTABLE JOURNALISM.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 54, 5 July 1879, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1879. DISREPUTABLE JOURNALISM.

" AVortii m* fixings, and a drop of ink foiling'like dew upon a thought, produoes that whiah makes thousands, perkaps Millions think."

With the spread of knowledge, the march of science, and the progress of civilisation, the power and influence of the Newspaper Press has been stead'ly gaining ground day by day until it has become possessed of a weight not even to be boasted of by Kings or Kaisers, Church, ,or JStato; and .although classed as the 'Fourth it could fairly lay claim to be considered as the First Estate. Wielding, then as it does such immense power, and possessed of an influence to which'all other institutions are as nothing, it is of all importance that the working of an instrument for such good or evil should not be placed m the hands of ignorant, incompetent, unscrupulous persons. ' In France this latter phase tan be' seen m its most repulsive form, and consequently m that country, the Press cannot boast of the freedom which on British soil almost takes precedence of the .Briton's own liberty. According to an English journalist, there are fortj rfive daily papers m," Paris alone, and they have been started by impecunious and unsci'uplous journalists, who can always find an accommodating capitalist ready to lend him money for the social /prestige which, the proprietorship confers and the bargain is struck summarily iv this fashion, ; "You hand over the funds and I wilt supply the talent, and' you will be able to vent your.aniraus against yourenemies m stinginglittle paragraphs which"! will touch, up for you." Fortunately the British nation has not arrived at such a step of degradation, and while the French Governments have been repeatedly called upon to silence their journalists, and, .break up their offices, the very purity and independent but impartial out-spok«nness of the British. Press have proved its strongest bulwark of safety and immunity from interference. There are ■ spots to 'be found on the sun ; there are scabby sheep ie all flocks ; ami we regret to state that the ran ks,of .Colonial journali ism ha» at least one representative ,who is, a disgrace to the order and, a worth 1 y follower of his prototype Anannias. In a former issue we referred to the unjournalistic conduct of the Marton Viper m commenting upon an action which wpi sub'Judice ; we proved the maligant animus- with which, the paragraph bristled, and we- exposed and confuted the wilful, ,nialicious;f abdication which was, pabiished to, blast a man's character, but at that time we had no knowledge of the deep depths of journalistic degradation to which that unreliable, un- ' veracious paper had descended: When Mr. Snelson saw the lying slander which had been circulated about him he wrote a letter.)" To the Editor of the J&angitikei" Advocate, admitting that the first 'portion of their paragraph' — that is, the .statement with an information had been sworn against him— was perfectly true, bub indignantly denying that he abused the Constable from the ••Bench,, concluding that an, intimation that the case was to "be" heard at the j Police Court, and hinting that as the j editor.' appeared to; take such a very' lively, interest m th.c case he should despatch/ a, reporter /to take notes at the hearing. Did the letter appear denying ,the slander? No, certainly , not ! Did the maligner send a reporter to learn and publish.. the true, facts of the case as they appeared m evidence P Not likely! Well, what does he, do ? Mr. Snelson's letter which' was tempeTately written, and merely asked for justice — a contradiction of a most untruth.ful statement — was flung into the waste paper basket, and a week afterwards the. following- paragraph is slipped into one the Advocate* oolttmns ; —

It is scarcely necessary for us to say tba om first paragraph' m reference to the circumstances m connection with Mr. Snelson's ense was substantially correct, being a simple statement of facts, without Exaggeration of any kind. :" W« should imagine it was scarcely accessary to inform its readers that it >?as tru« an information had been laid, fTrheij at that time the case had been ;; heard and the defendant committed for trial-; but what about the second part of the paragraph, with regard to which it;had received such a distinct denial : days- before- The Viper, m- its conconcocted letters, has _sneered at those who have the manliness to make reparation for an injury or ah apology for a mistake, and ., we can- well understand (the motive which prompted the sneei\ 'Reparation m the minds of all honorable, truthful, and. just men is a sacred >laim demanded for an injustice unwillingly and unwittingly done ; but to Hhose wtuV, like the Viper knowingly .and maliciously inflict an injury, such a word does 'not a ( ppear m their dictionary. The lie, the slab, and the sne.pr'is manufactured and aimed with malice, and for a specific end, and consequently if reparation or retraction wei'e permitted the concoction would be futile. We can, therefore, well understand the Viper being unable to fathom the pleasure it gives an honest man to repair an injury or* admit a fault ; and we can also understand the sardonic gratification with which it gloats over tbe power for evil which it possesses, and so maliciously and unscrupulously exercises. Mr. Snelson made two very reasonable requests — one that a gross fabrication "should 'be denied, and "another, that a true report of the case should he published. The first was distinctly ignored; and the second was not complied with. It could not send a reporter to repair m some way the injury done m blasting a man's character, although about the same time the farce was gone through of having. a representative at. the Highways Board, ostensibly to report, but act ually to have a scramble. for the "loaves aud fishes" m the shape of the Board's advertising. Of course not; m one scale a man's character was a stake ; m tbe other, • pounds, shillings', and pence, We think we have now said sufficient to show tbe unenviable notoriety which the illiterate pseudo-literary Ishmaelite,\ who guides the destinies of the Viper has attained, and the depths of degrationand corruption toVhich that organ has descended. During the lust session of Parliament the Advocate was a synonym for scurrility ; it now ranks pre-eminent as the mouthpiece of vindictive malice and registered falsehood.