The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-07-20

Fox AR ONE in this enlightened and liberal
age of the world 20 deliberately sit down to adj
duce arguments in proof of the position that the
prosperity, happiness and welfare Of the body
polite ia best advanced and secured by the edu-
cation and general insIiigcnee Of the masses,
would, we doubt not, be looked upon as a very
supeFauous undertaking. For to that educational
end are eli the tendencies Of civilization and
Christianity, IN free Countries. some OF the
greatest benefactors Of the race that have lived
during the past century, have devoted the ener-
gies or a Lifetime To The labor Of the diffusion of
useful knowledge among the laboring classes,
especially Of England. It is the general fair
education and intelligence of the people at lsrgs
those who daily toll foe a subsistence-that
constitutes the proud boast Of America to-day,
and the Z71rass guarantee Of the stability of her
political institutions Doubtless however there
is to be found %evenlin enlightened England and
America, q limited class which affects to under
value the idea of popular education But it is
composed Of the veriest snobs or society, in
Thackerey's seyerest definition of the term. They
VIII be found on close scrutiny 10 b .@not among
the real AfissOOraey of England, nor that other
aristoeraez. Of America the high rank Of intel
Iect,-buts made up almost entirely of men of
naturally narrow minds, who have themselves
come OF humble origin, and by adventitious cir
cumstances got into the possession of ~ilI-ftting
POWER or wealth. These are the men who as
EN- ploycrs will be found the most exacting, the
readiest to cut down the Iaboring mans wage.
and to lengthen out his hours of toll. Beyond
his ability TO delTe long and cheaply to pile mp
wealth IoE them, he enters not into their calcu-
ations. Any aspirations in which he may in
dulge of lettering his condition in life, are re-
gnrded as presumDtuous /: o love of books and a
seeking after educational advantages, are sneered
at as uniting his - station in lile." Keep him
down, is the policy
liz is to be regretted that we have among us at
these Islands something Of this snObbish spirit Of
contempt for the man who earns his daily bread
BY the sweat of his brow 1t occasionally and
ridiculOusly crops out on general social occasions,
where real or reputed wealth is uncongenially
brought for the hour on a level with the son Of
toll. 1t betrayed its tynnnieal, short-sighted
policy IN fhe debate which occurred in the As
sembly the other day, on the bill to fix the num-
Der OF hours which should constitute a legal
days work. One Of the Kings Ministers, (Mr.
Harris) in the course Of his arguments for the
OAkG lAlGf vi 81 bNAA4C "a
pressed in the Gazette last year IN an editorial
undertaking the worth and d~eprecating the
privileges Of the working classes in the country.
His EEccIleocy also awaited himself of she opPOr-
tunity TO launch his sneers at those who pirate
Of improving the mind Of the labOring man by
lectures. "A notable argument brought forward
by the ministerial side ON this occasion was, that
the more hours a day e man was kept at labor
the less time he would have to indulge in any
vicious practices, such Os gambling, ETC. The
application Of this astonishing doctrine would
simply reduce the man 10 the level of the mere
brute, who rOtates between the field and the
manger. And that is plainly the condition to
which the snobbish spirit of wealth and power,
a modicum OF which we see among u.s.
would, if i could, bring the laboring man. But
we live in too far advanced tImes, and this is the
wrong latitude for such doctrines TO flourish.
We cannot however but note the fact that they
are fondly cherished by some in our midst