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This page compares two reports at the paragraph level. The column on the left shows the first report in its entirety, and the column in the middle identifies paragraphs from the second report with significant matching content. The column on the right highlights any differences between the two matching paragraphs: pink shows differences in the first report and purple in the second report. The Match percentage underneath each comparison row in this column shows the percentage of similarity between the two paragraphs.
Original paragraph in
New Zealand Times - Friday, June 7, 1895
New Zealand Times - Friday, June 7, 1895
Most similar paragraph from
New Zealand Mail - Friday, June 14, 1895
New Zealand Mail - Friday, June 14, 1895
Difference
The Wilde case has been more commented upon than anything that has happened of late years, and the last development will porbably not
lessen the volume of remark. In Paris, after the Queensberry trial, the newspapers devoted much attention to this fact of universal curiosity. "We manage
these things better in France," they cried in chorus; "we simply do not report them." On this text they all appear to have insinuated sermons on the
greater puriency of the British mind. It is one of those questions on which a good deal may be said on both sides. But it is not altogether a question of
pruriency. There may be pruriency in everything; especially in the reading of certain reports. But these reports are not published to encourage pruriency.
With proper care they should be clean, and then if there is pruriency on the part of the readers it is disappointed.
The Wilde case has been more commented upon than anything that has happened of late years, and the last development will porbably not
lessen the volume of remark. In Paris, after the Queensberry trial, the newspapers devoted much attention to this fact of universal curiosity. "We manage
these things better in France," they cried in chorus; "we simply do not report them." On this text they all appear to have insinuated sermons on the
greater puriency of the British mind. It is one of those questions on which a good deal may be said on both sides. But it is not altogether a question of
pruriency. There may be pruriency in everything; especially in the reading of certain reports. But these reports are not published to encourage pruriency.
With proper care they should be clean, and then if there is pruriency on the part of the readers it is disappointed.
On one side of the Channel the press aims at giving as accurate a picture of the world as is possible, subject to certain conditions.
The press is contemporary history, and history is the teacher of men, and history must not be false. On the other side of the Channel, certain pages of
contemporary history being left out, the instruction of the public is defective. Wholesome criticism has appeared with benefit in a hundred papers on the
English side. On the other side the world is encouraged to believe that it is very much better than it is.
On one side of the Channel the press aims at giving as accurate a picture of the world as is possible, subject to certain conditions.
The press is contemporary history, and history is the teacher of men, and history must not be false. On the other side of the Channel, certain pages of
contemporary history being left out, the instruction of the public is defective. Wholesome criticism has appeared with benefit in a hundred papers on the
English side. On the other side the world is encouraged to believe that it is very much better than it is.
This difference of practice is difficult to understand. A certain class of literature is printed in France and openly circulated. It is
objected to in England as encouraging pruriency. It is defended in France as giving true pictures of life by master hands. But the truth is not always
self-evident; and it never is attested by sworn testimony. Why should a press which favours the romance which is confessedly not written for "the young
person," object to the publication of reports which take care to be decent, and certainly never present vice in an attractive light?
This difference of practice is difficult to understand. A certain class of literature is printed in France and openly circulated. It is
objected to in England as encouraging pruriency. It is defended in France as giving true pictures of life by master hands. But the truth is not always
self-evident; and it never is attested by sworn testimony. Why should a press which favours the romance which is confessedly not written for "the young
person," object to the publication of reports which take care to be decent, and certainly never present vice in an attractive light?
The French press has curiously enough given matter for further reflection in this Wilde history. After the Queensberry verdict a Paris
journalist referred to the disgraced prosecutor as an intimate friend of certain brother journalists and literary men. Among the names mentioned was that
of the famous writer M. Catulle Mendes, whose books are certainly (some of them) not written for "the young person." Like Gautier, he might say "I don't
cut bread and butter for a young ladies' seminary." Catullus resented the statement made about him, and promptly sent a challenge to the offending
journalist, with the result that Catullus was run through the arm. But as that did not prove that Catullus was an intimate friend of Wilde's, people began
to talk about the illogicality of duelling.
The French press has curiously enough given matter for further reflection in this Wilde history. After the Queensberry verdict a Paris
journalist referred to the disgraced prosecutor as an intimate friend of certain brother journalists and literary men. Among the names mentioned was that
of the famous writer M. Catulle Mendes, whose books are certainly (some of them) not written for "the young person." Like Gautier, he might say "I don't
cut bread and butter for a young ladies' seminary." Catullus resented the statement made about him, and promptly sent a challenge to the offending
journalist, with the result that Catullus was run through the arm. But as that did not prove that Catullus was an intimate friend of Wilde's, people began
to talk about the illogicality of duelling.
It was not for the first time. A few weeks before that a Parisian journalist, well known by his signature of Harry Allis, fell out with
a captain of Chasseurs, called him out, and was run through the heart. The catastrophe caused a tremendous sensation, chiefly on the ground that duels do
not usually cost life in the gay capital. Thoughtful writers took the opportunity of pointing out that in England, twenty miles over the border, nobody
fights duels, and nobody's courage or honour is ever on that account called in question. There are, it was stated, other and more rational methods of
settling controversies in England.
It was not for the first time. A few weeks before that a Parisian journalist, well known by his signature of Harry Allis, fell out with
a captain of Chasseurs, called him out, and was run through the heart. The catastrophe caused a tremendous sensation, chiefly on the ground that duels do
not usually cost life in the gay capital. Thoughtful writers took the opportunity of pointing out that in England, twenty miles over the border, nobody
fights duels, and nobody's courage or honour is ever on that account called in question. There are, it was stated, other and more rational methods of
settling controversies in England.