SPIRIT OF THE TIMES.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 18 March 1881, Page 2

SPIRIT OF THE TIMES.

I I II «*_H^ 1 In this hard practical age, when the i love of wealth and power so engrosses the mind 8 of men, that the affections, the poetry, loftv conceptions, and chivarly of our forefather*, seem to be dying out from among us, would it not be well if we could pause awhile, and giving the weaker the wall, retire from the jostling crowd. It is well to look back sometimes—' we shall not be turned tnto pillars of salt— but shall be profited by the re« trospect ; therefore, without ignoring the value of what has been done ia our own little time we may, while ye lament the great change tbat'is comiug nay, has come upon us pubscribe our mite individually as thinking men, to suggest a remedy to arrest thU downward progress. That it is so none are so blink but can see it evidenced in a thousand shapes. Our politics fire rotten, deviod of patriot- ! ism Our religions are worldly and j mentally enslaving. Our trading is very dishonest. There Beems now*a« days to be no court of conscience existing, or third party to our bargains, only one inordinate desire to get rich — to worship the golden image whereever it may be set up, Even our national sports have become mere vehicles for roguish — ruinous — gamb"' ling and copying their exampled, our religious bodies avail themselves of the illegal lottery or art union dodge for raising the wind. Municipal honours are no longer so. Our little Fisks and Jay Goulds are so intent in obtaining contracts and working their totalizators, permanent loans, &c, that they are quite content to leaveunprofitable mayorsbips to the ignoble and unfitted, who because they are mere Aunt Sally or targets for newspaper pellets. Well has it been written, ' the love of money is the root of all evil/ No new diV covery, its possession need not be envied ; but the tyranny of cant must be protested against. Listen to the outcry and attempts to keep closed our museums and libraries.