THE MISERY-MONGER.

NZ Truth, Issue 68, 6 October 1906, Page 5

THE MISERY-MONGER.

ADVOCATES OF A DREARY

SAWBATH.

The misery-monger is no new thing. He existed long before Christ, and that grizzling humbug, Jeremiah, was his prophet. He revelled m the dour, dark days of. Oliver Cromwell, who, himself a true patriot and warrior, was surrounded by a .snufflebusting crew of canting curmudgeons who by the cruelties they practised on the people, by the misery they forced upon them m the name of the grim god they set up as Jehovah, defeated their own dismal ends and paved the way for those who brought m Merry Prince Charlie and smiles once more. This is very apropos of to-day. and the melancholy wowsers' who would' fain make us all sanctimonious by Act of Parliament should beware lest they drive the sane people past the point when gentle submission is a virtue and cause a reaction that will relegate them to where - they belong, and make the mere indulgence m their opinion a^ offence aigainst the law, ' as they would make everything that the people like to do, but which they, the wowsers have no bent for. As long ago as August, 1856, exactly fifty years ago, the wowsers were wailing m Sydney town and the "Sydney Mor-ning-Herald," then quite a flippant, saucy puss, compared to. her solemn granny-hood of to-day, thus reported a meetinp- of wowsers to protest agaanst anybody enjoying themselves m G-od's good sunlight or tlie day we are told God ordained for one of rest and recreation. Thus wrote the hand that is no doubt long since" dust,:— A big public meeting was held at St. James' Schoolroom, Castle-reagh-street, last evening, for the purpose of promoting the better observance of the Lord's Day. The chair was taken by his Lordship the Bishon of Sydney.. The particular occurrence for the necessity of the movement was stated by the Rev. R. C. King to be the running of Sunday trains on the Sydney railway. Much inducement -was thereby afforded the people to make the Lord's Day a day of travelling, pleasure seeking,, and of mere amusement. Encouragement was given to inn-keepers and others to open their) houses and shops. Competition was provoked .on the river, and the Sunday trips were at once doubled, and omnibuses were for the first time employed m Sydney on the Sabbath. It was also brought under the notice of tbe meeting that the ferries between Sydney, Pyr-v mont, Balmain, and St. Leonards, boats and steamers were constantly employed the ■ whole of Sunday, while others were occupied m taking pleasure parties to different parts of the harbor. Another case was draymen and carriers travelling the roads on the Sunday. An association was formed, and called the "New South Wales Society for Promoting the Observance of the Lord's Day." Sounds ridiculously like to-day, does it not ? One can almost hear the snarl of North, the ponderous grunt of Gibbs, and the spiteful squeak of their hungry-eyed, misfit, pallid and putrefying followers. By all means let the arrogant parson get us under his heel and rule our lives according to his narrow views of what they should be !