Untitled

Patea Mail, 18 September 1880, Page 3

POLITICS AND MATERIALISM. Sir,—l have noticed a local in your paper which expresses surprise that a politician like Mr Stout has no more practical field for his abilities than in writing letters to the Echo about Materialism. I am only expressing the feelings of many educated and intelligent persons when I say I think y r ou hardly' do the subject justice in treating it so lightly. The doctrine of Materialism (in differing grades) is held by so many at the present day', who may be a minority in point of numbers, but are such a powerful minority' in the point of mental force, that it deserves more than a slighting. notice, especially as it is eminently' a practical question. One has only* to read the statements of modern travellers in Spain, Italy, &c, to remark what wealth of gold and jewels, of marble temples and of fertile lands, are in the hands of the many' churches, and in what a state of helpless ignorance and mental subjugation the peasantry dwell, to at once draw a strong comparison between the present state of those countries and what might be the case should wealth flow into its natural channels, and not be diverted into the support of idleness and credulity. Even in our own land, tens of thousands are annually' spent or invested in endowments, and these thousands, the Materialist asserts, are spent foolishly and in vain. Is tlie question then an impractical one ? In its truth or falsehood lies the root of the future progress or retrogression of our race ; and the opinions of thoughtful men on this subject arc as well worthy' (at least) of an hour’s attention as the important fact of Brown being committed for assault or Jones elected a vestiyman.—Yours respectfully, George Horeuts, Kakaramca, IGth.