The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-03-20

I WHILE WE are second to no one in a patriotic
desire for the welfare and prosperity Of the king
dom, we cannot hide from ourselves the fact that
the outlook for the year to come is anything but
assuring not so much because of the more than
possibility or the failure of our mission to Wash
ington. but in q larger degree because Of the
apathy that possesses our leading men. whether
engaged in agriculture, commerce, or in the exc
cutive departments of government. We seem
very generally to have accepted the postulate =
If we can obtain the treaty, We may be enabled
to go on; if we do not succeed in the treaty nego-
tiation, We must succumb. A very pertinent
question that comes naturally at this point is
And then what? Practical thinkers should ad-
dress themselves to the evolution of a policy
whereby to sustain the state and protect our in
dustries from farther disaster in the event Of the
failure of our treaty commissioners. To accept
failure as inevitable and to make no effort to ward
of its consequences, is neither manly nor wise.
But We have heard the thought expressed that one
cause of the existing apathy might be found in the
confident expression of opinion by a journal of
this city to the effect that the treaty must assur-
eddy pass; an opinion based entirely upon our
great need of such a treaty, and not upon the
best information to be had from leading journals
and correspondents in the United States. We
opine that the journalist should make a judicial
selection of testimony from best witnesses, and
give it to the public for a verdict. Let each
reader apply his own reasoning to the subject;
but if the journalist feels called upon to sum up
the testimony, he should give the facts for and
against, with his opinion as to the weight OF tes-
timony. -
We were led into the above train of thought
oT,.- ~o,d,r. fha E0-sffe Of EhTa uaaI - .wh;ob
space without stint is given to sustain the must
haye-the-treaty idea. Great diligence is evident
in collecting extracts from foreign journals, but
not one thought or word to the possibility of fail
ure. Our reading of late American journals,
and extracts from letters Of trustworthy CORES
pondents, not in Washington, have led US to con-
clude that the treaty is in danger, and thus think
ing, we deem it our duty to say 30 to our readers.
The Geographic correspondent Of the Ala states
that a conversation with several leading Senator's
W arrants the belief that the treaty will meet
with a strong opposition; that when it comes be-
fore the Senate for consideration, it will fail.
Letters received by the last mail express the same
views, and the advice is given (by parties whose
interests do not coincide with the advice) to make
the best terms that we can with the refneries.
The papers and letters Of February LIST to 9Th, it
is true, are full of expressions of confidence that
the treaty would be a success; but during the
three weeks following the last named date, Mr..
David A. Wells had given his opinion as to the
probable effect Of the treaty upon the revenue of
the United States, and the refners had sent for
ward their protest. However much we may ridi-
cule the falsity and folly of the latter document,
let Us not blind ourselves to the strong probability
that its statements will have no little weight with
the average Senator. And the Senator's are the
arbiters of our fortunes-so far as sugar affects
them.
4 I No CALLING in this busy life of ours is sur
rounded with such endless, neyer-ceasing care,
filed with such a variety of detail and f~reighted
with such peculiar responsibility as that of edit
ing a newspaper. The judgment and common
sense required in deciding what shall be published
which may appeal to the taste of the people who
are the patrons of the paper the discrimination
to be exercised as to what is legitimate news and
what is to be discarded the haste with which
conclusions must be reached as to the correctness
and ~propriety Of matter sent in for publication;
and a thousand and one details with which
scarcely any one outside Of a newspaper Office is
familiar, combine to make the profession of jour
nalism one Of the most arduous and delicate of all.
1t is q difficult thing sometimes to draw the line