The Bruce Herald. "Nemo me impune lacesset". TOKOMAIRIRO, JANUARY 10 1879.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1077, 10 January 1879, Page 4

The Bruce Herald. "Nemo me impune lacesset". TOKOMAIRIRO, JANUARY 10 1879.

The ' Otago Daily Times ' has a curious history. Brought to the front of our iiterary ranks by the genius, skill, and energy of two professional journalists Sir J ulius (then p ain Mr) Yogel, and Mr Fargeon — ii subsequently dropped into the hands of cue of the two money rin^s which control aud injure Dunedin, and do their best to have similar influences throughout the Provincial District. Its position stuck to it in want of proper opposition, and its editor, a most amiable, kindly gentleman without a spark of literary talent, being a large shareholder, had sufficient muney placed at his command by the Directois to purchase leaders, whilst his excellent disposition and genial treatment of Jemploy€->, kept together a good literary and reportorial staff. The recent case of Stanford v the ' Otago Daily Times ' " Liquidators, shows that a Clergyman, supposed to be occupied with the care of a parish and a number of souls, found sufficient spare time from his combats with Satan, to contribute as a regular hack writer to the 'Daily Times,' and to | earn some £500 a year by what must have been, even on his own showing, almost superhuman labor. Into the particulars of ihut case we do not care to go, but in justice to Mr Stanford will say that it would have been better if he had never been aclergyman ; and that— the leaders in the 'Otago Daily Times,' during the period he professes to have written them, being remarkable for cleverness, without continuity of purpose, or thought — he suited the paper whilst its pay suited him. Though, however, the career of the ' Daily Times.,' from the moment it fell into the hands of one of the Duuedin money rings, until it was purchased by another, is remarkable, its history really does not become astonishing umil the negotiations for that purchase were entered upon, iheu we have Mr Henry Driver and hia delicate negociations with Mr .Robert Gillies, with an offer of half commission, coinajg iuto [jromiueuce ; and next Mr iStau.Oid gets a bonus of £25 a share, and facilitates matters. Messrs Keid and .Fen wick, whoowned the 'Otago Guardian,' and piaised the present Premier and the Prouufoots alike, became the owners of the ' Daily Times,' which then and thero started ou an outspoken, if occasionally mistaken, course ; but stirred up bad water by this, and by its being tied hand and foot to the chariot wheels of the Proudfoots. By the way, it is noticeable that the only real opposition ever encountered previously by the 'Daily Times,' was from this ' Otago Guardian.' But unfortunately, the 'Guardian' had the disadvantages of being controred by the money ring opposed to the ' Daily Times, 1 and of being also a new paper. Had it occupied the tolerably independent position of the present ' Morning Herald,' it might, like that journal, have become an ensured individual success, and not have been brought to the hammer, and subsequently used as a lever to oust one money ring from the possession of the ' Daily Times.' For fear of being accused of a desire to do injury, instead of merely being anxious to comment on facts ia the public interest, we shall pass over the history of the ' Daily Times ' since it left the Proudfoot's people, and became the pi\ perty> of a company with a very large capital (uncalled up). But we may be permitted to draw attention now to the somewhat extraordinary vagaries it frequently displays. A few days since it contained a ivprint local from the ' Pall Mall Gazette,' upon the subject of the Glasgow Bank failure in which «he fact that every director of the Bauk was an elder of the Presbyterian Church save one— and he | was a deacon-- was commented on in a very fair spirit. This aroused the wrath of the " tiuco quid," one of whom wrote to the ' Daily Times ' on the matter, and the follow, ng extraordinary editorial foot-note was appended to his letter :— " The clipping in question represents the opinion, not of the? ' Daiy Times,' but of the journals which are quoted, and did not pass under the editor's eye." Now, the latter part of this foot-note, if it means anything, means that if the editor had s^en the obnoxious local before ?t went iu;o the paper, he won d have rejected it. We are not anxious to go into the professional point here involved, which will be understood by professional journalists ; 1 but we may say at once that no sub-editor with a proper respect for himself would stand such a foot-note for a moment, and that no editor who knew the duties andresponsibilities of his position, would wiite buch a one. It is not on this, however, that we desire to comment. We wish to direct attention to the paltry pusillanimity which mu3t have dictated the part of the foot-nofca under notice. The paragraph complained of was a perfectly legitimate one, doing no injustice to true religion, but undoubtedly beat ing hard on that false system which, encouraging the wearing of the modern substitute for phylacteries, and the making of iong prayers for appearance' sake, encourages rogues and scoundrels to mask their crimes under a garb of religion, and so be seemingly prosperous for a season. Bui as a certain form of Presbyterianisa encourages this kind of tLing to its ijigtiest pitch, so the paragraph gave offeice to some sourminded bigots who would have all think like themselves, and to these sourminded bigot* the editor of our Dunedin contemporary haa truckled.

Ewill be remembered that a few ■■■months 1? Xo we noticed a leading article in the *New vi,' » iailand Tablet,' whicli, rejoiced -oirer a supia ># tsed change in public opinion throughout the ' a ' " felony, on the question of secular v^ d«*% =5 Lminational education." We then assurer Lr contemporary, whilst fully admitting his '♦ Ight to argue the matter from the stand- — Joint of his views, and whilst respecting his bistaken, though sincere convictions, of the ~~ ittor fallacy of his views ; yand we pointed out — Ibat if ever the question Becular v. denominls Itionalism became a hustings one, and a r rital political standpoint, denominationalism * rould be nowhere. Our readers will notice hat the Wellington ' Evening Chronicle,' a r iaper not remarkable for want of perspiscity advisas the Government to take a i inn stand on this question, and so to s Lrevent an apparently decreasing majority , fcf secularists in the House of Representatives. We Bay, "apparently decreasing," ■because, as a matter of fact, the question jnas not been lately fairly before the electors, land pledges have been given on it on side ■issues to catch a Roman Catholic block vote. «Tbe vast majority of the people, however, ■remain true te their honest convictions. l«nd we observe that Archdeacon Maunsell ■of Auckland, an old, a wise, and an enlightSened clergyman has lately spoken out with mo uncertain sound. In delivering a ■sermon in his own church, St. Mary's, SPariiel], he opposed the denominational B system— first, because under it the chilBdren £of different persuasions would be 1 alienated, and trained to mutual mis--1 conception and hostility; second, because 1 denominations of small numbers would §be left without an efficient system, and I would go to the wall. In districts where no i denomination is strong enough, the whole I would accept the Government school ; but § tv bat would be the result when one denomi--1 nation grew strong enough to adopt the 1 other system ? The other grounds on which Ihe objected to the denominational syste m I were that under that system, as formerly in a operation in this Colony, false returns were 1 sent in upon wbicb an excessive share of I subsidy was secured. In fact, those wbo H could lie most received the largest share of I public money. There was also great naisapi propriation of fuude, the moneys paid by i the Government for the maintenance of I teachers and schools being devoted to church purposes. This led to inferior schools and starving schoolmasters. The rev. gentleman showed the vast superiority of the secular system over the denominational system, and pointed to the fine buildings now erected and in course of erection in various school districts, the efficiency of inspection, and the establishment of classes for teachers at which many hundreds have received the best training.

U A subject of considerable interest was disjj| cussed at last meeting of the Bruce County ;| Council, and we give tbe correspondence j§ connected with it in full. It waa tbe quesI tion whether Counties should take over from H Road Boards, what are known as Main v District Roads. The Bruce County Council I consulted the various Road Boards within their administration, on the matter ; and except in one instance (that of Glenledi), they were decidedly unfavorable. The reply of the Glenledi Board was unquestionably in view I of tbe exceptional circumstances under 1 which they are situated, in connection with I the road to the Coast ria Loudon's Gully. | However, as will be seen, the County Coun--1 oil have made a very praiseworthy effort I to relieve the Glenledi people by spending | £200 on that road, within the Tokomairiro f district, and where the'.Tokomairiro Board decline to Bpend a penny.

Something has been done at last, in re- [ ference to the Town Hall question, in Milton. I At last meeting of the Borough Council, a resolution was carried in favor of the deputation waiting upon the County Council, in order to ascertain what assistance that body was likely to render in the matter. Unfortunately, this cauDot be done for a month, and so that period of delay must elapse before we shall be in a position to know even what isjto be hoped from the County Council. Better late than never though, and so we will now only exjreßs a hope that the matter may not be permitted to drop.