CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 252, 23 March 1914, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

VIOLENT PARTISANSHIP. No doubt the party newspapers could exercise a restraining influence if they chose, but they are even worse than the politicians for whom they barrack. Day after day their columns are filled with jeers, charges of misrepresentation and prevarication, unworthy insinuations, and violent partisanship. Apparently their object is to make every elector subordinate bis -private juilj/incnt and become violently partisan i'oi- the time being. They may succce'l, luil it is hard to see what good can je.iine out of a contest so completely i dominated by passion, prejudice, ami I Iu i red.- llirislchurch Sun.

PESSIMISM. I never knew a man to sing or wear an optimistic smile, when going out o' doors to bring a loud of stovewood from i ii- pile. I've studied men for many ye.-u-s and never one I've known has worn a cheery smile when neighbor' -leen broke in his field and ate his ion:. No man has ever danced a jig m' happiness, full well I know, when trying to escort a pig the way it don't want to go. No sunshine lights the eye or brow of any man who leaves his bed on sunny morn, to milk a cow in some old windy, drafty shed. Oh, there are times—not far between, when mortals cannot sing and smile, when they are feeling dour and mean, and wish I hat sackcloth were in style. And then Ihe optimist who's wise will hide himself behind a cloud; foolhardy is the mar who tries to force his sunshine on the crowd. In our town there's a Sunny lim who works the sunshine tap too much; he has a beefsteak on his glim, an.! cannot walk without a crutch.--U'clt Mason.