The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1892.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4031, 6 February 1892, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1892.

On Thursday last the Wellington Evening Pest published a lengthy article on tbe decline and fall of party papers. Our contemporary has had a unique experience of such organs, During the past quarter of a century first one paper and then another bos tried to rival it in the Empire City, and in almost every instance tbe new enterprises collapsed, leaving the Post stronger than ever in the enjoyment of those good things which full to the lot of the indeperdent journal. The most formidable antagonist that appeared in the Wellington field was the New Zealander, a journal which at once sprung to the front, and in extent and variety of reading matter distanced tbe Post and every other local journal. But from the first it was evident that tbe New Zealander was making tbe pace too fast, and was losing ' between one or two ban" dred pounds every week. When it had dropped ten thousand pounds it collapsed and met the fato which it bad courted. Before it came absolutely to grief, the proprietor of this journal was invited to take the management of it, and he was very glad subsequently that bo did not become identified with its misfortunes. We do not believe that the party, though it spent 110,000 on tbe enterprise, 1 reaped any substantial benefit from it, It was known to be purely a party ! paper run-to ofder, and no journal carries much weight which is conducted on these lines. The Napier Evening News ..which is now going under, bas cost a lot of money for which the political party finding it has had but a small equivalent. The working man at Napier, as represen ted by the Trades Unions, bas been in a minority for Eome time, and could not have been in a worse position if that particular organ had never seen the light, Some publio men have an idea that tbeir salvation depends upon the possession of «n organ which will cry amen to all their sentiments, which will abuse their enemies and bespatter their friends with fulsome flattery, They pay very dearly for this kind of service. Perhaps, in the first instance they can get what they want for a hundred pounds or so, but once they make a devil's bargain of this kind they are compelled to ,po on feeding the white elephant which has come into their possession. 1 It is probably not till a pufclif pn has lost a. thousand pounds or so that he realises 'what an awful blunder he has made. Instead of bis political power being strengthened, it is absolutely weakened by Ijis Connection with a hiding press, Everybody knows that he has dono an unolean thing and tbat be is presenting himself before the publio in borrowed plumes, A really sagacious publio man would probably prefer paying a journal to abuse him. All the very' best publio men in this Colony will,not pay a sixpenoa to secure tbe aid of a party joipal, and all the best journals will not accept a sixpence from a publio man if it comes in the shape of $ bribe. The Qovernroent is now act" ing foolishly in endeavouring to set

up party organs. Ministers are ou I of touch with the press of the colony, but they may be thankful to it for pointing out their faults and shortcomings, An unfriendly oritio is of greater value to an intelligent politician than a hireling flatterer. The former will tell him the truth but the latter will delude him with sugared falsehoods. Yet there are people foolish enough to pay an almost unlimited sum to secure the journalistic, toffee which merely sickens them.