Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-10-20

ltdIIllll- - u dangerous liilllE. liiu
although the tendency of the age has
not been to over-education- that is
not possible yet there has certainly
been tendency to miseducation, and
to education in the wrong direction
Many a stout laborer has been spoiled
to make a sorry blacksmith, many good
blacksmith has been spoiled to make
an Indifferent clerk, many an excellent
clerk has been spoiled to make a con
temptible lawyer, many a brilliant lawyer
has been spoiled to make useless
clergyman. The problem Of problems
is to find out just what the boy or girl
can do, and direct study, work and
play to that end
In every city, state or nation, n Ger
tain proportion of all the inhabitants
manifestly are born to earn their daily
bread in the sweat of their faces
Their parents having failed to pre-
cndow them with brains, or character,
or physical stamina, put it out of their
power to become well to do, h0RcStlr
except by hard work. Honest toll is
not quite at par in most Of the civilized
portions OF the world. So education,
singing her siren song, promises to all
men a royal short cut to fortune if not
to fame-by simply following in her
smiling train. Unfortunately, in a vast
number of cases, education does not
educate. In no case does education
fit any child or any man for excellence
in any direction towards which there
was not some inherent tendency
"1he deep mind of dauntless in
fancy" must have some natural trend,
or it will have no adequate development
1t may be urged that the Hawaiian
Kingdom has no college or university
under its patronage-except as it has
directly or indirectly helped Oahu collge
Yet, in some respects, the latter in
stltutlon is national. Its land endow-
ment came from the state The sale of
portion of this land endowment has
made possible its present handsome,
creditable buildings. Its courses are
open to all Hawaiian, irrespective of
creed or color.
On the evening OF the Iath instant
there was reception by the new
teachers of Punahou, and a reunion
of its friends, attended by large num-
of the residents of this city and of the
other islands. Addresses of welcome
we're made and large sum Of money
subscribed, as shown by the report in
another column. The gentlemen and
ladies who have so liberally subscribed
to what they consider the best good of
this community deserve more than a
word of passing thanks. 1t Is not the
less creditable that they have given of
their abundance. Men who give at
all have frequent demands upon their
purses. Men who give largely have to
meet demands that are practically con-
tinuous if all the men who carp and
sneer at their rich fellows because they
give no more, would give in proportion
to their own incomes, would come for
ward with S., $40, and $40 subscrip-
tons, the $4,000 now needed to secure
Mr. Bishops munilicent subscription
would be secured before the month is
out.
There is just one other thought in
regard to Oahu College which must not
be lost sight Of 1t has received sub
scriptons from capitalists in the United
States which compel keen scrutiny of its
conduct Those subscribers and the
American friends of the Hawaiian mis-
sion look to it for result. 1t is natural
that those distant friends should expect
the decendents OF the missionaries and
the pupils 'ot Oahu' College to support it
llberally. The reciprocity treaty had
no more powerful advocates IN the
United States than the supporters of the
American Board of Foreign Missions
from whom Oahu College has received
such substantial benefits There can
be no more effective method of telling
the American friends of the treaty that
their efforts have not been thrown away,
than by showing them that a portion of
the wealth gained by the treaty has been
invested in that best of investments AN
institution of progressive, practical,
education
The sale of the Advertiser to Messrs.
n %
and MIR. j. S. Webb of this city, is a
distinct gain to the reading public.
MIR. Maciarlane has been outspoken
and straightforward in his political
utterances, and his. friends have good
reason to believe that his influence will
be on the side OF good government.
The public has far less reason TO
congratulate itself on the part proprietor
ship of MIR. ]. S Webb. That gentle
man is known as thick and thin de-
fender of the Gibson policy, and has
been SO distinctly creature of the
administration that it will be extremely
difficult to remove the impression that
he is still its creature. This must be
particularly true while the Advertiser
continues to be edited from the foreign
office, of which Mr.. Webb is still acting
chief clerk.
1t is noticeable that the new regime
starts out with the avowed object of
making money. That is frank and
manly, SO far as II goes. But the pub
lie has right to expect from the
public print which affects to voice
public opinion, some acknowledgement
of the claims of public morality and
mercantile honor 1t is to be hoped
that when Mr.. Macfarlane assumes