MISREPRESENTATION OF POLITICIANS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 16060, 15 October 1912, Page 9

MISREPRESENTATION OF POLITICIANS.

TO THE BDITOB. , Sir, —Your correspondent Mr M. Keane evidently' feols very keenly the castigation delivered by Mr Laurenson, but I note that ho has nothing to say of tho incident which led up to it. He has no word of apology for the publication in the paper with which he is associated of an utterly false account of the attitude adopted by Mr Isitt on a certain matter. Is it that misrepresentation is 6Uch a common practice of tho paper that he has no shame left? If Mr Keane wishes to acquire or retain tho respect of decent citizens he.should sever his connection with a paper that, at any rate in this incident, has shown itself governed by ethics quite at variance to those which aro supposed to govern the conduct ot ordinary honourable men. Perhaps the ethics of an editor should not bo expected to synchrom-o with thoso of ordinary men of integrity, or perhaps ono ought to say that th Q ordinary reading public does not expect them to do so, and judging by the journalistic vagaries of some paper*' this attitude of mind is fully justified. This being so, Mr Keane should not expect t to be treated according to the amenities which control tho relations of ordinary individuals. It ie extremely unfortunate that the electors of this dominion have to form their opinions of politicians from tho distorted and ex parte statements served up by many of our newspapo-.s, statements that give in many cases an absolutely false conception ri the real character of members of_ Parliament, some being painted white who should bo black, o'r at best a dirty grey, and others exactly the reverse. Among a certain class of newspapers any politician who dares to stand up for cleanliness and morality in politics is consistently vilified, abused, ridiculed and misrepresented, and unfortunately the lead thus given is taken advantage of by unscrupulous persons to vilify even the private character of most estimable men, only because they are on an opposing side in politics. Most'of thin vilification is ignored, but' it has come to such a pass now that in the interests of decency in our national life it is well that attention should bo drawn to it as forcibly as Mr Laurenson has clone. Ono hardly expects a newspaper started ptirely as a p-irty organ to alter its tactics, but possibly some equally guilty may mend their wnvs rather than face an equally public castration. K this result obtains tho electors will have cause to thank Mr Laurenson, Mr Isitt and the other outspoken friends who stood by them for their timely proh\st.-£l am, etc., LYTTELTON ELECTOR., P.S.'—Your readers who take any interest in the elevation or purification of our national nolitics should rend the report of the incident above referred to in "Hansard," No. 22.