The Adcanced. [Established 1888.] THE ANONYMOUS CORRESPONDENT.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 131, 2 December 1908, Page 4

The Adcanced. [Established 1888.]

THE ANONYMOUS CORRESPONDENT.

[PUBLISHED DAILY.] oldest bstajblishbd paper and;' . guabanmed labobsx ciboulation in ths distriot. circulates in Dannevirke Mangatoro Tamaki . Ngapaeruru Mangahe ■ Weber Ti Tree Point Waiope . Wimbledon:Herbertville Akitio Horoeka Oringi Kiritaki Maharahara Woodville Umutaoroa Matamau . Piripiri -.Makotuku Ormondvilie Norsewood Takapau Whetukura Awariki Otanga - Kumeroa Rangitane Raumati ' Tamaki No. 3 S. Norsewood Tiratu Tipapakuku Mangapuaka Mangatuna Makaretu WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1908

In our issue of yesterday, we published a letter at tho request of the managing editor of the N.Z. Times, bearing upon a phase of the recent general election. The letter was in a sense an apology by that gentleman for having permitted in the columns of his journal the publication of a letter which unfairly reflected upon the conduct of Mr George Hunter. Except, therefore, as a matter of friendship to a fellow journalist, who was desirous of making ■amends as far as possible to one who claimed that his character arid Parliamentary prospects had been injured — though: possibly the extent of the injury was magnified — by tho circulation of false and malicious statements, we were not oalled upon to take any cognisance of tho matter, which is entirely one as between the N.Z. Times and Mr Hunter. The occasion, however, afforded an excellent opportunity to put both the editor of tho N.Z. Times and Mr Hunter right in tho eyes of the electors of this constituency, and with the desire to promote a spirit of fairness which" \ve horjo and believe has always actuated this journal, we hastened to place bur columns at their disposal for that purpose. But in addition to this, the occasion presents a seasonable opportunity to say a friendly and fatherly word to the anonymous correspondent. There are somo people, and thj&y axe aiot a few, who appear to think that her cause a man enters the arena of public life he is a legitimate target for all the lies and all tho maliciousness which their evil minds can conceive, they further think that a newspaper is a kind of literary sink, into which they have, a right to pour all the falsehoods and the fables which their mistaken ingenuity can invent about the career of ono who happens to be politically opposed to them, and most extraordinary thing of all they.appear to regard it as perfectly honorable to do all this under the shelter of a norn de plume; To make their charges over their own signatures is the last thing that comes to their mind, and' they seem to be totally at a loss to understand why an editor should refuse to publish their effusions, and thereby decline to shoulder the responsibility which should properly be borne by the writer. They fail to recognise what is duo from one man to .'another, and they forget there is such a thing ,as,,the.4aw „.of libel in existence, but they aro seizod with tho idea that because they havo been

_____________ "a constant reader," or "an old subscriber," that' they have a mortgage on tlie columns of the journal they have honored with their patronage, and they fool mortally Offended when the editor censors their letter altogether, or puts, his blue pencil through what; they are pleased to describe as "the best part of the whole thing," which, . of course, is invariably the niost vicious. The editor \ who knocks out the so-called "only point" iii 'a letter is voted a fool by the irate correspondent, but how simple it is for a journalist, te be over generous to his correspondents-^es-pecially ananymous ones— is pointedly illustrated by the case of tho New Zealand Times. Had the editor of that journal refused to publish the letter of "Veritas," there is little doubt that "Veritas" would havo been tho first to accuse him of unfairness. Almost every day wb have to contend with cases of this kind. During the election weeks it was especially so, aiid although we understand wo, too, have been accused of partiality, we are confident this charge has no foundation in fact; but we are ready to admit that it might have been justly laid to our charge if we had published all tlie anonymous correspondence in which the^" " Fah'didate^^were" assaaied r^nd.which^manss, a of-ovA& coin* respondents considered it was "un- • f air" 4Q. them If withfioll[.. ,y Because j a Iporsorr 5 !.. UHhibs6rib%r^lb^"aT paper \ that does not give him a right to • lariipoon his neighbor,' or his oppon- . ent in public life, and although it aroused some antagonism at the time, our action in refusing all letters on I thp merits- of the candidates unless paid for was both judicious and proper in the light of the experience of the N.Z/ Times. Had /'Veritas/' been compelled to pay for his letter tho probabilities are that he would never have written it, and knowing as we do that the course which we pursued put a check upon the flood of nameless abuse, which we could see rising around us, we feel that we have , done some public service, not only by I what we considered wise to publish, ! but equally by >'hat we thought fit to suppress. Anonymity 'is very, well w^en general principles are being dis-J cussed, hut when applied to persons; it is apt. to be abused by those who are unable to judge of the fitness of things, and we at all events intend to exercise a rigorous censorship over all such letters, if, indeed, we do not. go : so far as the editor of the New Zealand Times has announced his intention of doing, aftd' refuse them altogether, j ■•_.,--'