The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1880

Temuka Leader, Issue 277, 31 July 1880, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1880

Perseverance, nothing like perseverance The passing of the marriage with a Deceased Wife Sister's Bill in the House of Representatives this week wi'h an overwhelming majority, is proof of what perseverance wilh anything will do, no matter how unpopular the subject, no matter how repugnant to the leeling ; no matter whether or not it be the truth, only keep cramming it down people's throats and in time they will like it and come to believe it an absolute necessity, Only a few years ago the gentlemen who mooted this subject in the House were in danger of being horsewhipped, and the man who year after year introduced ths Bill was looked upon as it sort of maniac, filled with absurd ridiculous fancies. While out of doors, those who would dare to say there was nothing wrong in a man marrying the aunt of his family would have been in danger of being stoned, or lynched without mercy. Contrasting the state of public feeling then, with what it is now, it leads us to ask the question are we advancing or retrogdraing. We must be doing the one or the other. We answer the question ourselves by saying we are going back It is needless to discuss the question Is it right for a man to have his brother's wife after his own is dead, if his brother should also die, or is it right for a man to have his wife's sister after his wife is dead. This is now accepted by a great many as a convenience without a breach of the moral law, and it is pretty plain that marriage with a deceased wife's sister will be legalised all oyer the civilised world before many years parses away. This is not the point we propose to discuss, but rather, whether or not these liberal tendencies are steps in the right direction. Laxity of principle is not a sigi o£ progress, and we affirm that the liberalism of our present House of Representatives is a relaxing of principle that foreshadows evil instead of good. "The ancient Romans were magnanimous, but

inflexible in principle. Tne ancient Britains .valued honor mere than life. Dues the same high principle actuate their descent la,nte. In this far off island of the Sea, does the same nobility of mind preside over their actions, as in the days of the noble Knights of old We fear not The laxity exhibited* from day to day by our leading men is not reassuring There is too much scratch my back and I will scratch yours going on. Principle is nearly driven out of sight. It is this that causes us to say that we do not think the hilarity oyer ihe passing of the Deceased Wife'Sister's Bill is a sign of progress Every man seems more bent upon obtaining the advancement of his own pet scheme more than upon the advancement of the Colony. The looseness exhibited in morality ,is exhibited—not in the passing of the Bill referred to- but in the indifference that is shown to the consequences that .may from such careless dealings with importune matters. It would have been a better sign to see a stubborn determination to act according to conviction than to vote a certain way, because it will please Mr so and so, or because Mr so and so voted for it. Our rulers are degenerating Our House of Representatives is becoming demoralised We need a Cromwell, with his broom, to sweep the lot out.