Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-11-05
SATURDAY PRESS.
PERNICIOUs JOURNALISM.
NO VElfBER s, 1881.

Probably every intelligent reader will coll
| ccdc without question that the mission of
| journalism is to present truth in its sim plest
form, to interest aid instruct the masses, and
| to work always for the best good of the peo-
pie and the world. A reasonable amount of
fiction is as necessary to the intellectual pal
ate as lime e-juice to curry-iu other words, it
is not absolutely necessary, but in any case it
should not be disguised. rose by any other
name does not always smell as sweet; in,agi-
nation is q very potent medium; it has much
to do with the joys and sorrows of life, and
once inflamed, the waters of a Jordan can
hardly quench ito flames.
If the taste of the reading public has be-
come vitiated, and VIC are inclined to think il
has, it is in a great degree owing to those un-
scrupulpns journalists who are nourishing
morbid appetite in their readers, and striving
to out Hcrod their brother llerods, and in
this way they gain n questionable fame, in
crease their circulation and their bank account,
but it is always at the expense of truth and
common decency, and some, perhaps many,
innocent victims are driven to the wall
We have in our mind at this moment, \ very
noisome example. The San Francisco Chron-
icle is in the habit of advertising itself as u
"Live paper" whatever that may mean.
Granting that it 10 "live" paper, omitting
the letter "v" if you please, by what means
has it gained this reputation? 1t has entered
unbidden the privacy of the home circle, md
laid bare the solemn secrets of the heart. 1t
has spared neither time nor expense, to gather
near snd far, Testimony sufficient to blacken
the cleancst reputation. 1t has dragged from
their closets the forgotten skeletons of tho
past and danced them, like jumping jacks,
before gaping audience. 1t has magni6ed
peccadiloes until they read like henious
crimes. 1t behave,h itself unseemly, ia easily
provoked, thinketh evil, bcareth nothing,
hopeth nothing, endureth nothing; we cannot
add, bcleveth nothing. Its very name has
become q reproach and it's statements are, for
the most part. accepted with n wide reserve
This it is. to be a 1" live paper" " from Ch,on-
icle standpoint.
OF lato tho Chronicle has devoted some space
to the misrepresentation Of the labor question
in the Hawaiian Islands. 1t hus found food
sufficient for its sensational greed, and though
1t is not probable that statements so violent
+, will bc credited by wise and thoughtful read
ers, it is possible that the glaring headlines
and the vivid pictures drawn by the trained
pen OF clever reporter, may cause many to
believe them grounded in truth.
For this reason NO feel called upon to cor
| mia AZ. l;.h
wise treat with the silence and contempt which
they deserve.
| We do not profess TO know, nor do we much
care, whose money is backing the Chronicle in
this game that it is seeking to defeat the
renewal OF the reciprocity treaty, is self
evident; that 1t hopes to do SO by asserting
that it (the treaty. 10 the cause of a brutal
slave system and an increase Of vice and
murder, is also sef-evidcnt. These pretence.
are so childish, il is astonishing that a ro-
spectacle journal, the San Francisco Ereaiaq
Batietin. should be influenced in the slightest
degree by them; moreover. it ia, wo believe,
the first time that that worthy journal has
strnck hands with its dcspised contemporary.
Tho Bntef'a OF October 18th says editorially
"All importations Of immigrants under con-
tract 10 labor given number Of years are
"modhed kind Of slavery" II the Bulisin
were in earnest i, might have added All i'm
portaiions or expectations Of immigrants or
smigran;s under contract TO labor any given
period arc modified kind Of slavery; it
might have added that contract to labor ut all
is a modified kind Of slavery; and yet the
b1aesi" knows tha. tho system is prevalent