Striking Diversity and Strange Unanimity.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 3083, 25 March 1892, Page 4

Striking Diversity and Strange Unanimity.

THE WOEKING MAN'S MILLENNIUM,

It is said that " Variety is the spice of life," and that "it adds to its flavour." The poet (Issac Watts, or Cowper, we forget which) was riot very far wrong when he penned this couplet, for certainly ife would be but a dull monotonous thing were it not for its pleasing contrasts. In 1 the animal world we have the graceful and shy deer, and the bold and. ferocious lion, the nuge elepnant, and diminutive though destructive mouse; there IB the pMu, humble-looking thtusn, with its rfc& sovg, and the beautiful humming ~bird whose mußical talents (and he has sense enough to know it) are conspicuously absent ; tren there iB the monster whale and the tiny shrimp on which* it feeds. Whilst in mankind the contrasts are still more marked and numerous, for not only are their ''physical features," so to speak, different) but they differ intellectually and morally also. In some countries certain 'acts are considered dishonourable and even criminal, and in others the same acts would be. looked upon as legitimate and

onourable

In China and India, for instance, we believe, lying is a virtue—we won't say a raie virtue ; while among the Negroes of America chicken-stealing is considered one of the favourite noetumfll pastimes, nd perfectly praiseworthy, too — provided

hey " don't get caught in the act." In his country- our tastes differ, and our t ambition b carry higher. We don't believe there is a single bank-teller in the .whole of the country mean enough to hy violent hands on a poor unprotected fowl. As .to varying opinions on political matters, they are legion, everybody has an opinion of some Borb; some thiok that Ballance 'and his party are the willing instruments of the evil one; others think th,em the only men capable of ushering in that era of unexampled prosperity termed "'by some enthusiasts the Working Men's Millennium; others, again, are loud in their praises of the author of the Public Works Policy*- whilst others clamonr for Sir Harry Atkinson ; but one and all ate unanimous in pronouncing: Buchanan's House o£ Commons "WMsky " tho Purest and .Best in the Market."