South Canterbury Times, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1887.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 4551, 23 November 1887, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1887.

A caiBAT controversy is now going on in England concerning the new departure in journalism initiated by Mr Stead in the Pall Mall Gazette and followed by him and imitated more or less succesfully by other writers. It is hardly necessary to inform our readers that the “new departure” consists in making socialistic journalism take precedence of political. The Pall Mall Gazette opened the campaign by the exposure of certain phases of “ the social evil,” in London,and its latest development is the opening out of the Hughes-Hallet scandal. The admirers of this style of writing say it is an heoric onslaught upon the vices that disfigure “high life,” and that it will have the effect of purifying the “ upper circles.” The opponents (and, mirahile dictu, foremost among them is Mr G. R. Sims of the Referee ) hold that it is a dangerous departure, the ultimate effect of which cannot be foreseen ; that it is scandalously inquisitorial writing, and that it is unfair to drag to light the private life of public men. It is interesting to us to observe and reflect upon from our own antipodean position, nor are such observations and reflections unprofitable. For our own part we are disposed to back up the new departure. The arguments against it appear to us to be lamentably weak. For example one argument against the first charge of the Pall Mall Gazette against the system of abduction practised in England was pronounced horrible, on the ground that it opened up infamous scenes before young people, ministered to pruriency,and was calculated to corrupt young minds. An answer to this objection is easily supplied. ir is this: —There is no doubt that a terrible eating away society, and that yearly numberless innocent victims were being sacrificed to senile passion of the vilest description and that a trade of procuration was actually flourishing in the country. “Extreme cases require extreme remedies,” and this was an extreme case. Besides, the corruption spread by the unfolding of so horrible a story was far less than the enemies of Mr Stead chose to make out, and surely it was far better to risk some infinitesimal corruption by laying bare the evil, than to let it flourish undisturbed. The good effects were far in excess of the bad; for these disclosures awakened the privileged classes to the fact that they could no longer sacrifice youth and innocence to to the basest of passions with impunity. The Pall Mall Gazette fastened upon one (and that the vilest) of the social evils. Can any one deny that this was a high and holy mission ? There are other evils that must be scarified |hereafter. In the meantime what shall be said of the question? We hold that the new departure is the opening of a great and glorious career for journalism. Political writing has fallen into disrepute, for the political writer is a party server, not a truthseeker, and social questions are shoving aside political. It is a sign of the times and we may accept it as such.

How much longer is the sorry political farce now being enacted to last ? If it were not a melancholy spectacle it would be a ridiculous one. Here is a Parliament elected at a great crisis spending week after week in pure trifling. Dignity, indeed ; why this Parliament has none and we grieve to say that we think Sir Julius exhibits a narrow spirit utterly unwortly of his reputation for generosity and patriotism. Out of office he becomes as vindictive, as, in office he is apt to become arrogant. Let the House do the business of the country,and afterwards let members who choose to fight out ibis petty squabble stop in Wellington (at their own expense) and bring the matter to a close. The record of last night’s proceedings provokes indignatioi, and for Sir Julius Yogel’e tactics on that occasion, we must confess (much as we have admired him) we feel nothing but contempt.

Mb Moses White did good service the other night at the meeting of subscribers to the Mechanics’ Institute when he declared that the books purchased for the Institute were “ wishy-washy.” We entirely agree with him, and we commend his utterance to the committee. Are they wedded to one firm of dealers, vendors of fossilized literature ? Do they think the readers of to-day want to read Cooper’s Indian tales, and Marryatt’s sea-stories, wit! mild novels and metaphysical dissertations P Do they forget that books arejmcceeding one another nowadays with rapidity, that the popular demand is fo* fiction, and that the highest and greatest lessons in life are conveyed througl the medium of fiction P If they are not unmindful of these things how is it that Miss Braddon’s latest work, and Bider Haggard’s books are not on the shelves? Why are not the philosophical works that are coming out daily to be had by subscribers ? People ha/e to buy new

books at the booksellers long after the Institute might have had them. The committee, instead of sticking to a musty firm should make terms with Mudie, of London, through whose galleries flows a constant stream of new literature. If they did that, they might not fill their shelves so fast as they do, but they would increase their subscription list much more quickly.