The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-02-17
THE PACIFIC
Commercial AOOtrtlser.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY IL.
1.-The Power of the Press"

comment by almost everybody, and by none more
often than by newspaper writer's themselves.
When fitted by education and training 10 the
task, they honor their profession by suitably
exalting it, and never by attempting to sheer at
its Importance or 10 depreciate its influence.
Such a course however might be anticipated
from the writers for a newspaper maintained by
appropriations out of the public revenue, for the
purpose of yentilating the views and supporting
the acts of an irresponsible ministry, and to
wage a war of competition with an independent
press. For such to discourse upon " the power
of the press, - is absurd to a degree. What we
are sorry for, to quote from the Gazette, of the
9TH inst, { is that we have that kind Of thing
here
To undertake an argument to prove the power
of the press, would be like addressing oneself to
a process of logic to prove that the sun is bright.
That which we feel, is a greater truth than logic
can possibly develop. 1t takes possession of the
understanding, and defes refutation. The sun
may be behind a cloud SO that you do not behold
his face, but you feel his warm influences and
know that the source of heat is above you. So
it is with the power of the newspaper press. 1t
has we'll been declared to be the . fulcrum and
ICfCE WHICH, mONcS lHG "OIlu II iii nidhG uilu
unmake in these days with a thoroughness I'M
known to former times. Once, it was the prov
ince of orators to sway the passions of the popu-
lace, but the power to mould the public will
resides not now with them. They have acknowl-
edged and bowed to the command Of n 1 master
the press. In the golden days of Grecian and
Roman Oratory the people repaired to the rostrum
and forum to find the fountains of wisdom. In
England, centuries later, they drew their streams
of knowledge from the lips Of Bolingbroke,
Chatham, Walpole, Burke, Fox and Pitt. The
glory of Greece and Rome is no more, and among
their shattered and broken ruins linger only the
distant echoes of the eloquence of Demosthenes
and FULLY. The London Times speaks with a
voice more potential than that Of Chatham, and
the Morning Chronicle with greater force than
did Palmerston or Derby. The New York Herald
and Tribune give forth deeper, weightier thunder
than Patrick Henry, and WELD a wider influence
than the leaders of the Senate.
An orator is only great when he speaks through
the press. In vain may he harrangue a thousand,
unless the press catch up his words and scatter
them among ten thousand. Excluded from the
press, he has no access to the masses. They
dwell afar, but not too far for the newspaper.
1t has learned ali the ~by-paths of the land, and
finds its way into every cottage. The orator
addresses an excited few the newspaper reasons
with the calm many. The orator foams and
.rages the newspaper argues and insinuates.
The orator speaks to the passions the news
paper addresses itself to the reason. Imagine,
if you can, what the British Parliament or the
American Congress would be without the press.
1900 l.. e. - --o-lo,. -
ever eloquent and splendid, would pass away like
the unwritten song of the mocking-bird, but for
the echo it finds in the newspaper. There are
hundreds of men in public life who would to-day,
but for the newspaper, be dwelling in obscurity.
The press saw their aspirations and their strug-
giles and kindly but not always wisely, tossed
them up to position.
And yet, with all its power, the press but
scarcely m the gratitude of those it has
blown into position. The brains of this mighty
machinery, the daily and weekly press,-the
men who preside at its elm-the worn and
weary spirits that forge through the ~sleepless
night the bolts that ale to fly at the dawn,-are
not unfrequently snubbed by g~littering imbecility,
and discountenanced by the mushroom cliques of
an evanescent hour. But to annihilate these
glow-worms and humming-birds is not the game
of the press. 1t chooses rather to thunder in the
ear of a nation, crown the deserving with applause
and blanch the cheek of the usurper and abuser
of power. 1t is a great and a dangerous power.
Properly employed, it is unequelled for good.
Corruptly used, it is mighty for evil. 1t can
scatter truth over the land like a golden shower
it can also precipitate a storm of falsehood. 1t
can instruct in virtue it can also exhaust the
chatechism of vice.
In the United States, its power is omnipotent,
and in England also it presides at the fountains
of power. Royalty itself bows to its influences,
and nobility is not noble without it. Such is
'' the power of the press when independent.
An incident occurred in England a few years
ago that will illustrate two facts,-frst, the
power of the press and second, the mean spirit
with which its directors are regarded. 1t pleased
the Government to elevate a light-headed nabob,
one Lord Ward, to the dignity of Lord Earl of
Dudley. The story is thus told by an English
THE town Of Dudley is owned by the new earl-its lands
and its houses and its tradesmen and its politics and its religion.
All are his. 50 the tradesmen, as in duty bound, lately put the
town in gay attire to do honor to their owners new dignity,
and Joined the Earl at a mutual-admiration banquet at the no
had determined to astonish the natives by the force Of his ora
tory. He was TO be the NIZam among the Pariahs. Inc
Mayor of the borough, too, had prepared to ventiiate his eo-
quence and show how he could oil over the soul Of the hiddLgO.
The reporters Of the public journals were, therefore, indispen-
sable. What a pity! The idea of introducing such JsHahs so
as 70 put them in any proximity with the iEustriOus lOrdliUg
quite shocking. The wife Of the chief butcher in the
town had in the fact-especialy when she heard his lordship
was sick of the idea-enough TO make her faint Even the
Mayor, proetaire though he was. took the disgusting side Of
the question and contrived an escape. That the reporters
the UOE Popuii-coud not be dispensed with was confessed.
They were invited A dozen from as many journals duly ar
rived at the place of banquet. AS the guests hocked in. and
the hour had come, the gentlemen Of the press" fell uncer-
tain what TO do for no places were assigned them at the festive
table. When dinner began il was intimated 20 the reporters
that the landlord Of the hotel would supply them with eata-
bles down stairs. 30 down stairs they went. The lord thought
the thing well done. The titled mushroom eat on. and its sur
rounding fungus, the local corporation, eat on too, all delighted
that the journalistic lords took il so well to march below. The
banquet over and the speechifying begun. the reporters then
were seut for. His lOrdship waited and the company was im-
patient. The Mayor looked over his own notes with a smile Of
pride. But the envoy from the festive hoard returned without !
the reporters. What! the pumpkins, the underings, the cubs,
the churls dare they send up such a message to my Lord
Earl Dudley, as told him they were cOoIly and compIaCeuty
slipping their wine, paid for by themselves, in a room hired by
nn.aI-as Ind M fEar nara r.L-.l ~ .nIr d. h. tnl.r I