The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1876.

Dunstan Times, Issue 764, 8 December 1876, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1876.

Beneath the rule of men enurUl'y just the PBN is MIGHTIER than the bwobb.

It must-, have appeared strange toeome ■ of our readers lately why we allowed our columns to be taken up so much by letters from cantankerous and, querulous correspondents at Alexandra. As these parties appear to have taken our advice and ceased troubling 1 us any longer, a few remarks on the duties of correspondents to newspapers, as well as newspaper'editors, may not be uninteresting. It must be borne in mind that while a well-conducted newspaper does its best to give a free and unbiassed expression of opinion upon the most interesting topics of the day, also to permit people the use of its columns for a similar object, there are certain iron rules to be observed, which must not be overstepped by either party. The journalist, if he understands his business, sinks his individuality in his work, he makes common cause with all, and advocates that irrespective of consequences, which ■ he deems likely to prove the greatest good to the greatest many; for himself he takes no care, his whole attention is devoted to the columns of the journal he conducts, and his sole guide is the logic of his argument. Now, as we never indulge in personalities, some persons may ask why it is that we, permit others and who use oUr columns to do so ? Our answer is that, so much has been said and written lately on newspapers suppressing ordinary correspondent’s letters, that we made up our minds to try the experiment of relaxing our strict rule by permitting a number of them addressed to us on what presumed to be subjects of public importance, to appear in print, instead of consigning them to the waste: paper basket. We find, however, that out of the many people who address us, they are very few who can write upon public matters without introducang personalities into them, while not even confining themselves to facts, throw out what we must call very mean hints, as if their querulous letters were not enough to disgust the impartial reader. The|colurans of a'newspaper are not the cloak for anassasin’s knife, or that he may stab under their shelter; but, while always open to redress a wrong, they are only so when the wrong is of public interest. If people desire to air their grievances or wash their dirty linen in public they should seek other means than making the printer a party to their quarrels. If that they must appear in print, let the aspirants for notoriety print circulars and send them to their friends, and not make us the vehicle of their abuse. We are always ready to give our services to the public, but not to be made a stalking horse of, nor is it our business to tear and bite people, our weapons of offence and defence are common sense and a desire to put people right when we find them in the wrong. To our querulous correspondents at Alexandra, we can only say : If you have troubles, keep them at home, you do not make them any lighter or easier] to hear by parading them abroad, because, what is worse than nil, you only expose your ignorance by doing so. Our columns are always open, and we are only too glad to insert letters from correspondents when the matter is of public interest. What we desire is to make our newspaper as interesting to the general public as possible, and not devote its pages to the purpose of giving publicity to the bickerings of prejudiced* narrow-minded-people. Whether the miner shall be entitled to rote upon his miners right or not is a subject much canvassed at present outside mining circles. It is very clear that whatever may be done to the contrary, that in the case of the county elections in mining districts the vote of the miners will return its man. Still, we think this privilege or exercise of strength will not be abused. Miners know pretty well that being the weaker body they are sure to be taxed by somebody, while their proportion of the public burden will not be the lightest, and knowing this, they may very naturally conclude not to go out of their way to return any particular person, possibly remaining under the impression that as injury will be inflicted by somebody, it matters little to the person inflicted who commits it, and wo think that this feeling in a great measure accounts for much of the apathy the miners in political matters generally. Should any mining community desire to return a member to the County Council where there is a contest they could do so easily. The electors in any riding where the seat is uncontested have no need to trouble themselves to vote at all, they have only to march in a body to where there is a contest, and return the man of their choice. However, as we said bo. fore, we do not believe that this will

be done, the result in, the end to the voters being all the same. So j far as the right to vote upon the qualification of a miners right is concerned, we think it cannot, with any show if fairness, bo denied. It must be borne in mind that those who pay taxes have an unquestionable right to have a voice in making the laws tinder which they livd. The very facto!' having a miners right is evidence that the possessor has an interest in the soil, it may not bo that ho possesses a house and 'cultivated lands, as such property might not oe convenient for him to hold, nor does the nature of his calling make such necessry For convenience and economy tvto, three, and’ four miners possessing a claim jointly live under the same roof, but by being the possessors of miners’ rights each is the legal occupant of an acre of land, and this alone: must be considered asa qualification to Vote. Miners, as we said before, are a class of people especially taxed, and they contribute to the revenue more in .proportion than any other members of the body politic, and it would be most unjust, because they are 'comparatively in a defenceless position, to attempt to deprive them of the franchise. We would have no dejection that holders of miner’s rights should be registered for a given period so that the voting in elections should be fair and equitable, but to deprive those who have no household qualification of the privileges of a civilised community altogether is radically wrong, end, so far as in our power lays, we will resist the attempt.