Cleansing Them.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2089, 6 July 1887, Page 3

Cleansing Them.

The Siax’Dabd, in itt issue of July 1, vowed to educate the 1 Observer* ’ into decency, cleanliness and l’ut'afulnes*. Conoiderinj he unpromising , w material to be worked upon, this wj a large—a very large sontraci Nevertheless, partial luccess has already crowned the S;a\. I>aki>* effort*. True, the ‘Observer's’are Still unclean, dishonest (stealing the fruits of other men's brains) and untruthful, but judging by their Saturday's issue, they are commencing to employ in their cheerful but ongraomat cal and illspelt little etfusums some slight varnish of decency. All initiatory reformatory endeavor* among the pariahs of society are directed to the inculpation of babita of peraonal cleanliness and decency of language, and when . these unfortunate creatures abandon the argot of their native aloms, they even, tnally lenrn cleanliness, honesty, troth, fulness and other virtues. Of oonrse the process is a gradual and long one. To Mon it ia true that we have partially cleansed the 1 Observers' we will now give a list of the gutter patois recently etu. ployed by them and ask oor readers to Compare that list with Saturday's Observer, Hen arc some of the expressions : Obscbvek Akui>i. June U—“ Weak-kneed Conlemporaiy. Our SpirUualialic Friend. Our Jesuitical and Ghostly friend. A culprit on the trap With the rape around hit oeck> Ilm Slave.

Ghoul-like Editor. Wallowed in corruption. - Avalanche of filthy mud. Tool. June 18.—‘‘Mr Pig, of MsserUm, sticks very close to his own stye, and is not in the habit of grunting through the columns of outside journals, lie has the reputation of being able to np severely with his tusks. This animal. The pig of Masterton may take it into his head to start on a rooting excursion. Will make hue sawdust of him if lie does not put a ring through his impudent nose. Unmannerly and not Mr H. O. G< His ugly proportions, Ac, &c, &c. June 23.—Tiger-like ferocty with which Mr Enhance attempts to settle the working classes.” ( June 24 the Standard commenced its work of reforming the ‘Observers’ maunets) Observer’s A root- Continued. June 25.—" A Badger. An uncouth animal. Literary badger of the Standard, That animal. Hireling Writer. Huchananite (outers. Bully-for-soup pedagogue. Elephant on s tight rope. Badger that tries to sneer but only snarls. Same animal (badger 1) that brays. Editorial druggist. Geminis (meaning of the word not known, but supposed to be very ton! hlacK-country slang). Skunk- Smirking badger. Decayed penny-a liner. Badger. Grinning badger. Not a man but a badger. A weasel. June 28 —A man with a big red nose. Snarls or brayings. Turned dog, June 30.—A ciawling journal. Chimney sweep. Hungry journalistic beggarman. An infamous lie. Literary penny-a-ltuer. Polluted rag. &c, &c.

Ties is the result of our cursory inspec lion of six issues only of the ‘ Observer ’and we apologise to cur readers for reproducing these gutter sweepings. It will be seen that the vast majoiity of the epithets refer io the brute ciea'ion. This is easily understood. SithilU simil jau'let, or llku rejo ces in like, is an old and a true saying These ‘ Observers ’ have so long wallowed in uncleanness that all things to their eyes hare naturally an unclean aspect. And now these poor creatures, whining under our stockwhip, accuse us of abuse. This reminds us of the old Joe Millerism, told indifferently of Dean Swift, Curran and other colebritiea, and which runs as follows :—Some one—no matter who—once engaged to silence a Dublin Irishwoman noted (as are our little ‘Observer’ friends) for the foulness of her vocabulary and the virulence of her epithets. The lady commenced the contest and unlocked the floodgates of her verbal vileness. When she was through, her opponent looked her fair in the face and merely called her—“an isosceles triangle.” She was vanquished. “Many beastly names La i she been called, but never anything like that ” We too have only called the ‘ Observer ’ isosceles triangles, but they, not knowing the uses or meaning of lauguage, are weeping tears of rage thereover. However, before we have done with them, we may teach them the difference between our satire and their filth. In the meantime Mr Bunny if ho hag any respect for his reputation should give his little friends a few lessons in literary honesty.