Random Reflections.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 12750, 24 March 1914, Page 5

Random Reflections.

j At Gisborne Supremo Court th 6 other day a man who shot at another man with intent to maim pleaded "the unwritten law," as an excuse for his deed. It was shown that ho had a good character, and that the victim's was not of the best, but the Judge very rightly disallowed the plea and inflicted a sentence of six months' imprisonment. This plea originated in America, and came into prominence in the case of Harry Thaw. While it may possess the merit of influencing the verdict of a jury which in many cases is given on sentimental or sympathetic grounds it is unknown to British law, which admits that homicide is justifiable only when committed in self defence. If this plea were available it would strike at the very foundation of law and order, and it might be extended almost indefinitely. For instance, the social revolutionaries in South Africa might have pleaded that their action was taken to uplift humanity or to redress grievances which could not have been adjusted by any other means. Under our system of government the law provides methods by which most differences between men may be adjusted, and effective penalties for real breaches of moral or social law, but the judgment of others who are disinterested must decide, and no man has a right to resort to violent methods, or to endanger the lives of his fellows.

According to the temperance authorities it cost last year the enormous sum of £4,137,658 to gargle the throats of thirsty New Zealanders. This represents a deluge of drink for a million people, or rather for the adults, for it may be presumed that the babes and sucklings do not imbibe alcohol. But seeing that the total value of spirits, wines and beer imported does not greatly exceed a million, and the breweries send out only about three-quarters of a million worth,' it is difficult to see how the calculators arrive at their figures, which indicate thav tue liquor used would be sufficient to float a Dreadnought. The one satisfactory feature is that even the temperance authorities have to admit that in proportion to the population th<s figures show a decrease. This is good news from the purely temperance point of view, but very bad news from the viewpoint of those who are making a living by prohibition. If this decrease continues, where will their occupation be? The figures seem to show that as the ''old hands'' are passing away the proof is becoming clearer that the young New Zealanders are not, as a rule, addicted to drinking habits.

The cable messages relating to Home Rule indicate «hat Ulster is grimly preparing for civil war in the event of her objections to the Bill being ignored. The impartial observer cannot fail to be struck by the fact that if the other side had adopted a similar attitude if the demand for Home Rule was refused, there would have been no hesitation to use the military to suppress what would be equivalent to rebellion. In this case, however, there is the apparent justification that it has not been clearly shown that the Bill has the approval of a majorr:y of the people, and it is alleged that it has a majority in the House only because other portions of the Ministerial policy are approved, and because the Ministry, to keep in power, have to hold the support of the Home Rule party. It is a most unfortunate position, but under existing conditions appears to be unavoidable, and one can only hope that some means of affecting a satisfactory compromise will be devised.

The Jamieson Raid, at the time it was attempted, edited the admiration of a large number. It' had about it all the glamour of adventure that appeals to the boy that is in every man, whatever his age or condition may be. It was regarded as a deed of daring undertaken by a gallant few, and "Dr. Jim" became a hero. There w r as another side to the picture, however, as facts have since shown, and there was something to be said in favour of Krugher and his stolid burghers who foiled the attempt and for the time defeased the aims of the financial magnates who in the guise of Empire-builders were promoting their own interests. Even yet, however, the of "Dr. Jim" is noticeable in the politics of the new-born States of South Africa. The atmospheric phenomena experienced in Russia, which resulted in the death of many people and swept a large number of houses away, must have been truly teivrfying, and considering the ignorance and gross superstition that prevail in that country it is not surprising that the peasants believed the disturbance was a prelude to the Day of Judgment. They are on about the same plane as the savages who beat their tom-toms when there is an eclipse of the sun in the hope of driving away the demon who is swallowing the orb of day. The tendency of the savage is to see in every convulsion of nature the agency of the supernatural,' and the lowering sky is the frown and the reverberating thunder the voice of an angry god. But even in the man who knows that all these phenomena are due to purely natural causes there is still a little of the feeling that actuated his ancestors and led them to ascribe to direct acts of their deity anything they could not understand, or that excited terror and dis-

may. In the raging storms, or the shock of the earthquake man feels hi 3 helplessness and his dependence, and has no inclination to analyse his feelings or consider natural causes. THE ROAMER.