South Canterbury Times. MONDAY, JAN. 26, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2136, 26 January 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. MONDAY, JAN. 26, 1880.

Theiik is a quality in public writers and speakers 'which at iirst sight is frequently mistaken for discretion, and is honored or respected accordingly. The possessor of it is not necessarily a sceptic, nor is he usually wanting in the ability to express his convictions with fluency and in elegant phrases. The Craven of the desk or platform may attain a large degree of popularity, but as a rule it is only evanescent. The moment the tinsel wears off and the superliciality of his endowments reveal themselves, the article that previously passed current for smartness loses its attractions. Cravens abound in the pulpit and on the platform, and we are sorry to say they have their representatives in the press. There are distinctive traits by which the literary Craven can be recognised at a glance. Ho adojfls the deprecatory rather than the argumentative style. Sometimes he is a severe commentator, but his harsh criticisms are addresed to individuals rather than facts. The Craven rarely identities himself with any particular cause. If ho goes to church it is simply because it is fashionable ; if he takes part in a public movement it is not because he endorses it, but because the game is safe and the popularity certain. The Craven boasts that he is a cosmopolitan ; but he never dreams that, measured by the true standard of manhood, he is a human mongrel, and that his reluctance to call things by their proper names, and to boldly identify himself with lixcd political, social, or religious principles, subjects him, in the estimation of every man or woman who possesses a scintilla of moral fortitude, to infinite contempt.

The Cravens of the press in jNcw Zealand have lately been exposing their hands in a variety of ways. They are the apologists of Chinese Immigration. If they had their way they would be kind to the species at the expense of the race, for they claim universal kinship. Some time ago they discovered something terribly heretical in the idea of an elective Governor. Sycophants and Cravens could not brook the proposition that colonists should choose their chief rulers. More recently, travelling nearer home, the literary Cravens discovered something fearfully objectionable in the wearing of party colors, and an effort will probably be made by the craven brotherhood to have banners and sashes prohibited by Act of Parliament. The advent of a protestant lecturer has aroused still more keenly the ire of the noble army of Cravens. Since the arrival of an aged orator in Auckland, their screams of displeasure can be heard in all directions. As might be expected the Cravens have done no damage beyond makingfools of themselves. This chorus of denunciation, so far from injuring the cause aimed at is doing it a positive good, just as the anethmas of the Wellington press made the fortunes of the Loftus Troupe. But although Cravens may defeat themselves, it is desirable that they should he made aware that their motives are not misunderstood, and that their imbecility tends to' degrade in public appreciation the institution with which they arc identified. Let us hold up the mirror of public opinion to the literary Craven. To do so we have only to ask him what he would think of a Scotchman who -was in the habit of denouncing his country or his countrymen in the presence of a mixed community ? Or what would he think of a Parliamentary representative who was constantly holding up Parliamentary institutions to ridicule? Can any exhibition be more contemptible than that of a literary Bob Acres who,

with the face of a lion and the heart of a deer, would rob debate of its vigor on the ground that it provokes ill-feeling ? In this age of toleration the utmost liberty is given to freedom of speech and argument. Tiie Craven preaches toleration, but when we penetrate through his hypocritical disguise he stands revealed a foe to every kind of toleration. The best friend of every description of error is the Craven. If he could do so under the plea of prevensing disturbance, he would fetter free discussion in the press and on the platform. We respect the man who stands up for his country, his creed, and his profession, and who is not afraid to vigorously defend them ; but we despise the Craven who refuses to identify himself with any leading human principle, and sets his back up at the efforts of men who have the courage and determination that he lacks. He is no friend of freedom or peace who, to prevent disturbance, would make shackles universal. There are men on the press who would gag the press if they could, men in the senate who would cripple the liberty of debate, men in the church who would rob their creed of the little life and energy that scepticism has left. The churchman who believes his own creed to be superior to all others, and freely ventilates his opinions is respected by those who differ from him ; and the man who sticks up for the superiority of his own country and kindred, is honored by strangers, not because they agree with him, but because he possesses the qualities of a true friend and patriot. Not so the Craven. He has no patriotism, no religion, no politics, no fixed principles of any kind. Por the sake of expediency he would barter everything that is near and dear, deny his name, his country, and his creed. John Dunn, the Zulu chief, is a vastly superior man to some of the Cravens of the New' Zealand press. He may be a traitor to the British crown, but he fought the Zulus and his courage and determination gained their confidence and admiration, and so he became their leader. We hope for the future to see less of this spirit manifested. If public journalists would only reflect, they Avould be ashamed-of the figure they so frequently cut. AVe have endeavored to hold the mirror up to some of them, and we trust the reflection will make them pause. It is neither becoming in public writers or speakers to be faint-hearted, sjiiritloss, and effeminate. AVe admire earnestness no matter what direction it takes. Displayed in a good cause it will make many converts ; in a bad cause it will arouse overwhelming opposition. Truth and the right have nothing to fear from freedom of discussion. AVe honor the man who is proud of his religion just as we esteem the man who is proud of his country ; but we despise the wishy-washy cosmopolitan -whose sympathies are so widely distributed that they are of no value to anybody. Man, through all ages of revolving time, Unchanging man, in every varying clime, Deems his own land of every land the pride, Eelov’d by Heaven o’er all the earth beside ; His home the spot of earth supremely blest, A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.

We have it on the indisputable authority of the Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, that Mr Pickwick having inadvertently lost his way on a certain memorable occasion amidst the labyrinthine passages and lobies of the White Horse hotel at Ipswich, was very decidedly nonplussed ; and it required all the distinguished man’s philosophy together with the assistance of Mr Samuel Weller before he could regain his own bedroom. Mr Pickwick lost his way, we are led to believe, solely in consequence of the very confused and confusing internal arrangements of the famous Ipswich hostelry ; but whether the fact of his losing his way was attributable to this, or to some cause less remotely connected with brandy and water, the fact remains—he lost his way. Ami in this connection, we venture to think that were the illustrious founder of the Pickwick Club to visit Timaru (and what a welcome he should have!) he would be placed at almost as great a disadvantage in making his way from one part of our town to another as he was on the occasion of his visit to Ipswich. For instance should Mr Pickwick, as a stranger, desire to visit ‘our Market Reserve he would probably be told to “keep along the Great South road over by the brewery.” Or, again, should Mr Pickwick express a wish to inspect our Temple of Justice, he might be directed to “ turn up past the Town Hall and keep on until he passed the Scotch Church, when ho would see it at the bottom of the road right before him.” What Mr Pickwick would do, in investigating as a student of human nature, localities more remote, and where landmarks in the shape of breweries and Scotch churches do not exist, goodness only knows. Our town, true, cannot as .yet boast the colossal proportions of Sydney or Melbourne, but still it is desirable, in the interests of strangers and persons devoid of the bump of locality, that the names of streets should be painted up somewhere —at street corners or other places, where they are at present conspicuous by their absence. Let, we would suggest, the plan now obtaining at home be adopted, and the street lamps bo made to do the double duty of both lamps and street indicators. The lamps at Home are now made of frosted and transparent glass—that is, the lower half of the glass is frosted, and the names of the streets arc painted in fat black letters on the white groundwork, and thus the benighted wayfarer is enabled, by means of a simple and sensible arrangement (which avc commend to the attention of the municipal authorities here), to make out his Avhereabouts Avith as much facility as in the broad daylight, and Avith ca'cii more, and goes on his way rejoicing.