The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-10-09

" Government has no more control over, or responsibility for,
tiser."
The above is extracted from the POlynesian Of
September q, and is simply a re-iteratiOn in
substance of what has appeared in the same
journal q score of times during the past six
years that it has had to contend with the first
successful establishment of an Independent popu-
lar organ. Prior to 1856, ministers often wrote
the leaders in their organ, and may have done
the same since that date.
Through the influence of this paper, public
opinion rapidly strengthened and set itself
against the policy of the governments attempt
ing to control the popular press, and so strongly
was the injustice of the government portrayed,
that to relieve itself from the odium which the
very name Of the POlyneSian created, a law was
passed declaring that the government was in no
wise responsible for anything its editor said or
did. This law had no more effect in mending
the matter than a decree from the Emperor of
China would have had. The government and
its editor were as identified as before.
Finding this of no use, a lease of the printing
Office was secretly made about n year ago to the
government editor, under which he is paid
annually S. $500 but he still remains the govern
ment editor and government printer. The rela-
ton between the editor of the POkyneSidn and
the government, though nominally different, is
now virtually the same as it was ten years ago,
excepting this, that he is limited in his expendi-
lures by the contract, to a fixed sum. The Poly
nesiGn. its types, presses and materials are still
owned by the government, the editor is paid by
the government, and all the work of the govern
mont * done nv him The relation aSiStipr TO
day is such that he is as much bound to sustain
the ministry and government policy as at any
former date. In 1856 he declared he was indie
pendent of all government control in 1862 he
makes the same declaration. The assertion IN
one case is as worthy of credit as in the other.
So long as the government olcns lis press and
newspaper, where it compels Ill ITS printing 10 be
executed. SO long must that paper be regarded as
the official organ, and its conductor as u govern
ment editor and printer. And so long shall we
continue to speak of it and him as such.
If in the year of grace one thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two, the government of
Hawaii, which processes to be liberal and to seek
the establishment of every industry which the
people may chose to follow, is unwilling to allow
printers and publishers the same equality it con-
cedes to others, then it must continue to bear the
opprobrium which it has hitherto had. Were
principles of equality and justice established in
this branch of business, were the public journals
left to the free and unrestrained conduct of
private enterprise, were the government work
left to be executed openly and honestly by the
lowest bidder, instead of by secret contracts,
there might be less cause of complaint, and the
name of the government in this matter stand out
before the public with less suspicion attaching
to it.
We make these remarks on an old and
trite topic, to correct the Misrepresentation
and show the false position which the editor of
the POiyncsian takes respecting his relation to
the government. He is still the government
editor and printer, and the POlyneSian is still the
government organ, and the public will continue
- regard them as such. And when he utters the
language quoted at the head of this article, the
public can measure its truth with the facts.