226 Australian Life 



among these the Bulletin is by far the ablest and 

 most influential. To describe the Bulletin merely 

 as a satirical and society paper is to do it a very 

 grave injustice. By no mere tricks of satire and 

 news-gathering can any paper sway part of a 

 nation; and this, by its deadly earnestness, great 

 ability, and ferocious plain speech, the Bulletin 

 has continued to do for many years. The most 

 talented artists and the brightest writers of all 

 Australia are in its service, and nowhere in the 

 world is a political situation better expressed in 

 a clever cartoon, or a newly proposed legislative 

 measure more ably reduced, in a small space, to 

 perfect lucidity and simplicity. It is not con- 

 tended for one moment that the whole policy of 

 the Bulletin commends itself to one half of its 

 regular readers, for it frankly advocates the inde- 

 pendence of Australia under a republican form of 

 government. But the Australian who is content 

 with things as they are, or even desires some 

 closer connection with the Motherland, cannot 

 afford to do without his Bulletin for this reason. 

 For the paper is at once the most interesting 

 chronicler of Australian matters, and the most 

 trustworthy guide in Commonwealth affairs. 

 Other papers have, unfortunately, strong provin- 

 cial leaning, but the Bulletin steadfastly sets the 

 national question before all others, and so com- 

 mands the respect and admiration of the many 

 nationalists among the young Australians. 



The Bulletin renders a further service to Aus- 



