Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXII, Issue 23, 4 October 1895, Page 1

Current Topics

AT HOME AND ABROAD.

We do not know that Mr Reeves, in contending last week during the discussion as to a tax on imported newspaper supplements, that the staff he condemned conld be produced locally, paid a very high compliment to the literary talent of the colony. Did the hon gentleman imply that there were among ua " mute inglorious Miltons," who, if the need called them forth, and gave them a voice, could rival their American brethren f In any case the value placed by the Minister on these productions, whose literary quality, he said, was of the " lowest character," did not reflect highly on the literary tas'e whose demand calls. for such a supply.

" Imagiae the rest. ' Managing editor ? ' 'I am.' ' I presume, then, on you resta the responsibility for referring to my daughter Pattie as ' Fattie ' 1 "

It is certain, too, that the literary taste of the period is, for the mo9t parr, of a lighter kind. People in general read more— if not in mere idleness — for a passing amu-ement than for information or any improvement of the mind. The difficulty of writers or editors is to provide lazy or careless intellects wi'h matter light enough fjr their requirements.

America, in this instance also, is possibly foremost in the racs. Tetsas Siftingg and the Arkansas Bowie Knife, quoted by Mr Reeves as awful examples, art what, quite possibly, we are all coming to.

It Is not clear, moreover, that Mr Reeves was very happy as to the time at which be quoted his examples. Are we not all looking forward to the " feast of reason and the flow of soul " to be placed presently within our reach by a lecturing tour of Mr M<trk Twain. Mr Mark Twain, indeed, may ba a humorist of a higher stamp than any of those to be found on the staffs of the papers in question, The difference, nevertheless, is in degree, not in kind, and the writer referred to has done much, if not to create, at least to foster, the taste whose pabulum has been condemned by Mr Reeves — who, by the way, is himself also reputed a bit of a humorist, and, in that character, no more elevated than some others. On the occasion in question, however, Mr Reeves spoke as a politician. Mark Twain will probably forgive him.

" ' Paw,' said the Bmall boy, ' is fishing the one thing that most mtn live for 1 ' ' Certainly not, Tommy. 1 ' Are all girls sweet when they graduate ? ' ' Why, there may be exceptions.' 'Do they invariably write foolishness in their essays 1 ' ' No.' 'Dj bays that go to college forget everything they ever learned except how to row a boat and play football ? ' 'Of course not.' The youngster shook his head sadly and said : ' I guess you needn't bring ma home aDy more of these comic papers, I'm kind of loßing faith in them,' "

The Otago Daily Times of the 26 h inst, gives us a cablegram, free, gratis, aud for nohing. <( The following cable message, which came to band last night, we give for what ii is worth :— ' In Chicago a convention consisting of 1000 delegates from all the Statep, the Dominion of Canada, and Australia, is planning for a revival of militant Feniamsm in Ireland.' "

The trial of John Keown for the murder of Hugh Stewart, in which a verdict of guilty, with a recommendation to mercy, was returned at Invercargi'l on September 25, gave Sir Robert Stout a rare oppor unity for philosophic pleadiDg. Sir Robert, who, with Mr A. 0. Hanlon, was counsel for the prisoner, argued from his pet theory of heredity. Eeown, he said, had had a drunken father and grandfather, and an epileptic uncle. The case, our readers will no doubt recollect, was that in which the prisoner had shot, and clubbed wi.h his gun, a bailiff who had come to make a seizure on his farm.

ODDS AND ENDS.

Several of the witnesses had testified to Eeown's immoderate drinking, and to his irascible and eccentrio conduct when intoxicated— and, indeed, at other times as well. Sir Robert Stout's plea wag that his client was suffering from alcoholic insanity.

Meantime, was that word Sir Robert Stout used qnite permissible under the circumstances ? " Handicapped," a word borrowed from the race-course, if we understand aright. Eeown, he said, owing to the habits of his father and grandfather and the misfortune of big uncle had come into the world " handicapped." The word under ordinary circumstances, and for ordinary speakers, is good enough— but philosophic reasoning has its proper terminology and that Sir Robert Stout — reasoning even with the license of the law — should not forget,

"Jacob : ' How did you make your fortune V Isaac : < On horseracing.' • What ? 1 never knew you betted.' • I didn't,' I stared ft pawnshop just opposite the entrance to the racecourse for the accommodation of people who wanted to get home when the races were over.' ''

A canard worth repeating, in one sense, is that which comei from (he Paris correspondent of the Daily Netvs. The next P^pe, he says, will not only be elected at Avignon, but will take up his p rmanent residence there. Where the nixt Pope will be elected ia uncertain. Circumstances may even be forseen that would prevent the conclave from being held at Rome. In assigning it a fixed placa elsewhere, however, the imagination only is relied upon. As much may be said as to the place of residence chosen by the Pope should hie Holiness be, for a time, obliged to quit the Vatican. Wherever, therefore, that £180,000 which, we are told, is being expended on the old Papal palace at Avignon comes from, it does not come oat of the Papal coffers. We m*y be pretty sure also that the French Government is not expending it in the interests of the Papacy, Such a canard, in fact, is worth repeating because of its absurdity, and because of that only.

The Otago Daily Times of Saturday baa a le&der which, if it were anything at all worth speaking of, would be a bitter attack on Sir Patrick Buckley. There is not, however, substance enough in the stuff to contain bitterness. It is the mere querulous wbiae of a crabbed urchin— the old song repeated — "I do not like you Dr Fell." The Times does not like Sir Patrick Buckley. We shall give our contemporary the benefit of the doubt. The reason why ha probably cannot tell but, if ha could, it would hardly prove much to his credit for him to do so.

Our contemporary's plaint is called out by the report that the Government are anxious to bring about, next year, the retirement of the Chief Justice, so that Sir Patrick Buckley may be appointed to the vacant place. We know nothing about the report— whether it be true or whether it be false. We know nothing of Sir Patrick Buckley's disposition on the pomt — whether he would accept, or whether he would decline, the place ; — though ws have it on an authority which we consider sufficient, and even more than that, that Sir Patrick Buckley is a man possessed by no inordinate ambition, The offer of high office made to him, therefore, would be the result of no manoeuvring or pressure — such as generally lies at the bottom of the political appointments that the Times condemns— on Bir Patrick's part, but the outcome of the appreciation of the Government making him the offer. It is besides a new doctrine, and indeed one, if it be just, many times flagrantly outraged by many Governments, that a Government may not appont to the judicial Bench men who9e politics are their own also. The charge of political colouring ia such casefl comes naturally to the lips of opponents who, like the Daily Times in this instance, fjr want of a valid argument, are obliged 10 resort to clap-trap.

If, meantime, the Government were desirous of making a political appointment that might be of advantage to them, they would offer the place to Sir Robert Stout and thus get rid of a dangerouc, or at least a vexatious, opponent. Pottibly it is a movement of this

kind, in favour of which tbe Daily Times, on its own account, pro* teiti.

Sir Patrick Buckley's colleague?, moreover, are possibly as well qualified and as suitably situated to form a judgment as to his standing at the Bar and general qnalifications as is tbe leader-writer in the Times. Sir James Prendergtst, too, as in fact tbe writer in question seems dimly, and with sime trepidation, to perceive, by retiring to make room for Sir Patrick would virtually give his approbation to the appointment, and nobody, hirdly even the writer in tbe Times, will question his capacity to give a decision respecting tbe fitness of any barrister to be his successor.

The animus of the Times, however, is manifest. A petly dislike of Sir Patrick Buckley personally is the more evident motive. The only other supposition possible is that the leader was written in t^e interests of some other member of the Bar — to none of whose members would we willingly offer the affront of receiving such a motive as the true oae. No man capable of feeling otherwise than offended at the leader referred to could properly discharge the dutieß of Chief Justice — or even those of a much less exalted position, Unscrupulous, queruloup, and crabbed, such we repeat is the tone of the production. As to its substance, it simply is not there.

The Synod of the Diocese of Waiapu, then, baa decided on taking the bull by the horns. At its meeting on Siptember 25 the following resolution was carried unanimously :— " That whereas all regnlative efforts for diminißbi n g of intemperance have proved ineffectual, and the liquor traffic has always and everywhere proved its si f defiant of all restrictive laws, therefore it is the opinion of this synod that the sale of intoxicating liquor ought to be abolished by the vote of the people." Here, meantime, is another Anglican variation. At home, for example, in the recent elections the Church ptople stood resolutely by the union of beer and the Bible. It was that, in short, whico principally returned the Tory majority.

"Father : 'My son, do you know why there is a cock on the steeple of the church ? ' Hopeful :' To wake the people when the sermon is done, father.' "

The Indian Government have apparently risked putting their foot in it, by a proposal to make regulations in connection with the yisits of pilgrims to Mecca. The Moslems protest that their religious privileges are threatened. Their complaint is likely to obtain a bearing, as, now especially, when there is danger of ill-feeliDg caused by an interference with Turkey, it would be impolitic to irritute them or arouse their fanaticism.

"At one of the schools in Cornwall, the inspector asked the children if they could quote any text of Scripture which forbade a man having two wives. One of the children sagely quoted in reply the text, 'No man can serve two masters.' "

A correspondent of the North Otago Times reports a passage of wit which took plac3 at Hibait bjtweea the Mayor of that city and Mr Davitt when he recently paid bis visit there. The local water was so good, said the Mayor, that people did cot like to mix whiskey with it. The whiskey in Ireland was so good, replied Mr Davitt, that people there did not like to mix water wi'h it, Mr Davitt possibly drew upon his earlier experiences — those, for example, of a rainy day in Connaught, when a mixture of water with any thingmore especially with the " mountain dew " — necessarily seemed of all things the most superfluous.

" ' What would bix ounces of tea come to at two shillings a pound 1 ' asked the teacher of a class in school. ' Leaves,' replied the small, bad boy."

The Japanese, it appears, are still at war. They have, we are told, captured two strongholds in the island of Formosa, where six'y thoasand of them are engaged. It is interesting in this connection to learn that, among the necessary works proposed for the good of their country, in tbe not very distant future, by the Japanese press, has been the annexation of Australia. A nation of some 40,000,000 people, developing warlike tastes an! warlike power als^, so cl^Be at hand, may form raih^r a serious consideration for these colonies.

The principal ltsaon we learn from tbe report of an address delivered last week in Dunedin, by Lady Stout — in connection with the Southern Cros9 Sjciety, that is, e-sociey for the development of tbe new woman— is, once more, the rather stale one (hat talk is cheap. It waß easy for the lady to say all those fine and pretty things, acid she is to be congratulated on the smooth fbw of ber eloquence When it cornea, however, to putting all this into practice, it will be found quite anohfer affair. Tht millennium will have arrived, as tbe lady who filled tbe chair observed at the end of the address.

Tbe observation, we may remark in passing, seemed, too, to suggest that tbe lady in question had more common-sense than was signified by the place she filled.

" ' Anyway,' said tbe cornfed philosopher, • when the women get into Congress, you won't hear any more of that ' I pause for a reply ' chestnut. They won't pan Be. No.' "

It will be a millennium, too, of a nature a little out of keeping with the anticipations of that blessed period that have been so far entertained. Hitherto, for example, the symbol of the time has been the lying down together of the lion and the lamb. Now we must substitute for the one the tabby-cat, and in place of the other we must introduce the mouse. " Women without domestic responsibilities," said Lady Stout, " who had time and ability to attend to the duties of the positions were required "—that is, in plain terms, old maids. If talk were not cheap such a description aa that, by the way, must cost the maiden aunt a good round sum. It is a mighty lofty definition. When cat and mouse lie down together, then — the mouse remaining outside— the hour and the woman will be here. The millennium will be here too, somewhat different, as we have said, from that so far expected, but characteristic no doubt— and pleasant for those who like it.

" Young Man : ' Look out 1 There's a mouse.' The advanced young woman (calmly) : 'Ob, how canning! Oaa't you coax the little dear out this way V "

However it must be admitted that it is not inconsistent, under the circumstancas, to charge with the reform proposed a class of ladies— not so far reputed as leaders in any movement of particular note. What is contemplated is a change of the sex as a whole into something new and strange— and it may well be that the task should be committed to untried hand.-). At any rate none of those up to this employed in shaping the fitnesses or the destinies of womankind have been, or ever shall be, found equal to it.

"Miss Elders (sentimentally) : ' Yes, I want to die before I get old.' Her Friend : • Ob, how selfish you are, Clara, when I want you to be my bridesmaid when I get married next month.' "

In another way, too, Lady Stout places her reliance for great results on slender means. The end proposed was that woman shonld be educated to take a wide view of the questions of the day — and, in effect, to act accordingly, The means proposed were that they should read the best articles on pertinent subjects appearing from time to time in the magazines and meet together to talk them over. The efficient reviewer, nevertheless, is the reviewer who knows more of the subject dealt wiih than the writer who wiites on it. Ladies meeting together to talk over matters, as of necessity in magazine articles, treated of with comparative lightness — and themselves without any deeper kaowledge, would be likely to profit but little by their cbat. As for wida viewa, moreover, what, in the present instance, are we to take as their definition ? They art generally to ba understood as synonymous with the views of ihe person who makes use of the words. Are we to undeistan'i that this was the sense in which the words were used by Lady Stout ?

" ' It may be all right to j jke,' said the small boy, crawling though a hole ia a fence, aa his mother, with a Btick in her hand, came running down the street in his direc ion, ' bat discomia' woman business is a serious matter ter me.' "

Miss Freeman also spoke on the occasion. Her theme was tbe grandeur of labour, even that of sweeping a floor — for the " slavey," no doubt, or the " lady-help." Had it, meantime, been of men that, the lady spoke, we should be inclined to differ with her. "The woman," she said, " who did small offices well was the one who would be fit to do great ones when called upon." Tbe woman would perhaps — that is the new one. We know nothicg abcut ber ; our own complete ignorance we have learned from Lady Stont's explanation of ber capabilities. But as for the man : take Horace, for example, who declares that, were he to emulate the lofty flight of Pindar, he must share the fate of Daeialos and fall to bis destruction, Taka Petrarch — glorious in the sonnet. What would he have been bad he attempted an epic 1 Or, agaic, there was Benvenuto Cellini, who wrought exquisite gems, As a sculptor on a larger scale he failed ignominiously.

" ' Dad,' said young Hopeful, ' pulls up Iwo or three weeds to teach me the pleasure of labour, he sayp, and then sits down on the garden bench and looks on all the afternoon while I'm enjoying it.' "

Among women, too, of whom we did know, or thonght we knew, something, there were more than oneoff whose floora you might have eaten your meals without a plate, and on whose belongings no speck of dust was to be found. As to their doing great offices, poor things