The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, JDNE 23, 1888. UNFAIR CRITICISM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2932, 23 June 1888, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, JDNE 23, 1888. UNFAIR CRITICISM.

Mb Buchanan, in a speech recently reported in Hansard expressed a conviction (1) that subsidies to local bodies should now cease; (2) that labor must be fairly paid for a community to prosper; (b) that a protection tariff increases the cost of living and also of putting the produce of the Colony on the market of the world. Now all these opinions are open to criticism, and wo should hardly ho disposed to accept them en globo, but our object in referring to them is not to question the expediency of the policy advocated by Mr Buchanan, but to illustrate how far it is possible to distort and misrepresent the plainest and most straightforward utterances of a politician who enjoys the confidence of a Wairarapa constituency, and who has the respect and esteem of the House of Representatives, Our local contemporary declares that Mr Buchanan now gives up local subsidies because he has got all the roads and bridges he wants to his own property, and now saysfromhisseat in the House" We do'nt want your subsidies any longer. Talis them away." Our Contemporary assumes in order to make this charge, that Mr Buchanan is a dishonorable man who sacrifices his constituents to serve his own personal interests. With reference to the spcond point, our contemporary urges that if Mr Buchanan could get cheap labor he would take advantage of it, and that in " a wail of pure selfishness," Mr Buchanan moans" keep down wages." It will be observed that our contemporary scores against Mr Buchanan here by substituting something lie did not say for something lie did say. It might fairly be, assumed that when Mr Buchanan declared tor labor being fairly paid, he meant vyli.lt he said, and we fail to understand by what rule of criticism his utterance could be taken as" keep down wages"; and again, whe>i Mf Buchanan declares that a protective tariff would increase the cost of living, and also of putting " GUI' produce in the markets <of the world," out' contemporary construes " our produce'' to mean " Mr Buchanans wool awlpiutton," On/jo more the plain text of Mr Buchanan's speech is distorted, to enable an imputation of an inpop.er motive to be introNo wonder if a% treatment j like this a thoughtful and able speech on broad Colonial questions is interpreted by our contemporary to be

" the moan of human greed and avarice." If the casual reader pauses for one moment to realize the effect of criticism conducted on this basis, viz., the imputation of selfish and improper motives, and the alteration of the text I to suit the imputations, he cannot but perceive that no public man in the community is safe when subjected to such an ordeal. If a public man is silent, his reticence may be at once placed to his discredit by an imputation of improper motive, and if he speaks, what he says is distorted to express the opposite of the meaning intended to convey. If the license our contemporary assumes in his criticism of Mr Buchanan be accorded to any pressman in the Colony, we venture to say that be could with the utmost facility represent the brightest, purest, and noblest individual in either ancient or modern history as a despicable villain. In New Zealand we depend a good deal upon the voluntary labours of our public men. It is a positive and decided advantage to settlers when men of character and integrity like Mr Buchanan offer their services in a representative capacity, and it is due to such voluntary'service that they should be accorded fair consideration, and that differences of opinion should be expressed witliout questioning their good faith and honor.!' In the present instance the attrfck made is of no practical consequence, Mr Buchanan is perfectly able to liold ; his own in the teeth of misrepresentation and calumny, but we are aware that very - mauy men are unduly sensitive to treatment of this kind 1 and decline to come forward for public positions for 1 which they are specially qualified, because they will not submit to have mud pelted at them. No doubt there is a tendency amongst Colonial joitri nalists, more especially in country I districts, to drift into personalities and to overstep the rules of criticism which may justly be applied to the acts and 1 words of public men. There are few I newspapers which have not sinned in j this respect, but it is necessary that i some protest should be made against any persistent and glaring abuse of press privileges, Itis easy enough togive a public man credit for a pure motive in any statement he makes, and it is equally easy to assign to him an im- [ pure motive. All canons of criticism, f all rules of debates, and all dictates of i honor imperatively demand that any ' public man of character should be credited with worthy motives, and the -reckless imputation of improper ones is usually regarded as a species of outrage which cannot be tolerated in a civilised community.

Although the attendance at the Fancy Dress Carnival last night was not so larsje as on the previous occasion, the iift'nir passed off oven more successfully. Sevoral new dreßses were displayed, tlio most conspicious amongst them being worn 'oy two young ladies, one representing " Flora," the goddess of flowers, and the other a charming " Doctor of Laws." Mr Latham's fancy skating ivas greatly

admired, and Messrs Turner, O'Connor and Woolcott kept both audience and skaters in a state of continual laughter with their comic business. It is the intention of the management to give another carnival'shortly withcoloured and lime effects. Messrs Balme, Jacomb and Co. report that 18,000 bales of wool were disposed of at tlio third series of auctions opened on Tuesday, a third of the number of bales were from New Zealand. There was a large attendance of buyers, and the bidding was excited. Cape and Australian merinos were from par to id higher; line crossbreds very firm, but prices were unchanged. Coarse- sorts went id cheapor on closing rates in May. The total number of bales available is 335,000. The frozen mutton by the Ruapeiiu is being sold at 4^d.

4 during attempt at incendiarism was made at Ney Plymouth on Thursday night fiudanpeiing t)ie large block of buildings in whi§h the Criterion Hotel stands. Early this morning MrsHosldngs, who keeps a crockery shop ii} Uroughij/ni: street, found'tho house full of smoke. She got up, and went and searphed f6r the cause, and found that under the ground Hooi; of the next shop there had been placed a box filled with paper whicli had been lighted, There was also half a sleeve of coloured shirt and two small pieaca of candle, but the latter apparently had not bo°if ignited. A wooden pipe was also found close fyy. Tho lire had nob spread rapidly enough to catchagood hold on the building, and on tlje ajarm beinn -(riven the llames were quickly extinguished. Had the fire taken firm hold, $ large destruction of valuable property njusthaye taken place, for the premises of Lock, grocer, Wright, draper, Gilmour. stationer, and the Criterion Ifatel yyepe all endangered.

Just two days before tlje tariff resplulions ivere accepted by the Ifotise, ami scted upon by the Customs authorities, we passed entries for our latest imports of flannels and blankets, for tho season, at the Wholesale Family Drapery Warehouse, le Aro House, Wellington. We consequently escaped the rigorously high duty that, in accordance with protectionist proclivities, is now levied on these goods. Whether this step is one in the right direction or otherwise wo are not disposed to jirgue, One thing is very certain that we 1/avo |jdw a splendid stock of flannels and blankets, tiwt i|( spite <jf the increased duties we shall sejl fgr the fljij prices, qt Te Aro House, Wellington,

We were never bottorf able lo supply tl)o public with both quantity and quality in flannels and blankets, j and wc venture to assert that no house in trade Ims so large a stock, or is able to sell such good value for money, as weave at Te Ato House, Wellington. It would, therefore, be wise, prudent, economical, pjoney saving 011 the part of everyone iq see pur ilannels and blankets first before laying out 9, penny on these articles elsewhere. Time is money, and worry would be saved in buying all that may bo required of these articles, at the Wholesale Family Drapery Warehouse. Te AlO Houie, Welling ton.-ApVT.

Wopitw-MiiN,— Before you begin your heavy ipingprlc after a winter of relaxation, yojjr sysfepi ijeedp gleanaing and strengthening to prevent an jjttgck of Ague, Billjoua or Spring Fever, or some other Spring sickness that unfits you for a Bewo's wfe. YfflJ will saye time, much sickness and great expose if you will use 0110 bottle of Di',' Soifle'§ American Hop Bitters in your family this month. Don't wait. "Burlinpton Hawkovo." A Good Housbwife.—The good housewife when giving her house its spring renoviftjng, should bear in mind that the dear iiinjacea pf her house aro more precious than many houses, ans that their systems need cleafising by purifying the blood, regulating the stoma'cli and b.owels to prevent and cure the diseases arising from spring malaria and miasma, and she must know tliat tllere is nothing that will do it so perfectly and'surely as t)r, Sojilo's American Hop Bitters, the' purest ai)d best of i)}e.dicine3, "Concord N. H. Patriot,"

Tenders for felling thirty acres bush in the Masterton-Mangaliao Settlement are advertised in another column.

The House was engaged the whole of! yesterday afternoon and evening in committee on the Customs Duties Bill, and further adjourned to Tuesday. Our temperance friends notify In anoihorcolumn their intention of holding anopeti meetimg on Monday night at the Temperance Hall to which the public | are invited. Songs, recitations, and addresses will make up a thoroughly enjoyprognammo.

'Mr J. Young, of Cuba street, Wellington, wants his bargains in ironmongery inspected. They were bought from a Southern firm last month and are now on sale at Mr Ysung's establishment, for cash.

William Riddle, charged on remand with being in possession of a portion of a distillery plant was found guilty by Mr Yon Sturmer R.M, yesterday and fined seventy five pounds or six months imprisonment. The money was deposited and notice of appeal given. The Committee have decided, by special request to keep the Exhibition open for another day. The public who have not had an opportunity of visiting the exhibition will be able to do so on Monday next, A special programme will be issued for the evening. The receipts on Monday will be handed over to the Hospital Committee.