SOCIETY JOURNALS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 38, 14 February 1881, Page 4

SOCIETY JOURNALS.

The N. Z. correspondent of the S. A. Begister is an enemy to society journals. In one of his letters he says : — An evil has sprung into existence in more than one town in New Zealand, which is painfully associated with legitimate journalism. I refer to the starting of •what are known as "Society papers.' 1 These are weekly publications in which 'the sayings and doings in private life are brought to the light of day. Scandals, in fact, and not a few of them infamously scurrilous. Hints are thrown out as to Mrs H— frequenting balls and parties during the absence of her husband ; but she is always attended by aMr D . Or ■we find that Miss B— — — , who was affianced to Mr V , has refused to ratify her engagements in consequence of a liaison he had contracted with some woman who has long been tabooed from association with virtuous women. Some employer, indicated clearly enough by hiß initials, or by the nature of his calling, is cautioned to look to his cash book, as it cannot be understood how •young S — - — manages to live up to , five times his salary, and keeps a horse and handsome young house-keeper, if .he runs on the square. These and other offensive personalities, written in fearfully bad taste, and with an envenomed pen, form the staple of our Bdciety publications. It is quite probable $hat some iew of these attacks contain a grain! or two of truth to a whole bushel Jof lies, but they wound and scarify,' and lacerate, and cause exquisite pain ; and the fellows who pen

!such articles are simply scoundrels — without character, without responsibility without any worthy surroundings, but who are, some of them, as clever a unscrupulous and callous of feeling. Two or three of these men have been thrashed or have had their coats torn from their backs ; but this is what they ask for. It makes their papers sell. An action for libel has no terrors, for tho scamps have nothing to lose. And people ot a better claes do buy these prints and read them. It affords that kind of unwholesome excitement which people feel when they stop in the treet to witness a dog fight or as pueilistic encounter. Of course such publications can only be ephemeral, but they cause much mental agony and many bitter heart .burnings in households and families. In San Francisco and parts of the American States the revolver or the bowie knife dispose of such writers as I refer to. Here they foel they are safe. For myself I do not say I would not lend my handkerchief to assist to hang these rascally libellere — these destroyers of home happiness and woman's fair fame —at the first convenient lamp post.