Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-06-16
orr RrLInInrs .,nrnNlIs

/ Nnoulu bc proud ui hcf secular newspapers,
Without exception their columns are clean.
Unlike many newspapers published elsewhere,
| liaWaii's newspapers arc not open acwcfl
through which the loulncss and indecency 81
the "sums' is poured into her homes.
u IS subject Of congfntulation that the con.
duclofs OF our secular papers have learned that
II Is not necessary that newspaper should he
vile in order to be bright" pufid In order to
be "ncwsy," or wicked in order to be witty.
More than this, the Press and the Gazette arc
worthy Of al respect, and the thanks 81 all
good people in this kingdom are due them, for
their earnest, bold, manly uttennccs in favor
OF temperance, righteousness good morals and
| good government.
! In marked contrast with the manly stand
and courageous ultcfanccs Of the Press and the
Gazette IS the silent, non eommiual, cowarlly
course pursucd by the alleged religious news
| papers, printed in English, here in Honolulu.
What Is the province ~ q religious news.
papct' II should nc more than the organ, the
muuhpiccc, OF mere sect. II should be a
fearless teacher Of morals and religion It
should be a leader and educator vigorous
tonic TO the moral thought OF the community
1t should he bold and outspokcn In defense al
the right and in condemnation of the wrong
It should stcrnly and impartially rcbuke sin,
and all attempts to dcbauch public morals, no
matter where that sin turks, or such attempt
Is made, in palace yard or in Smiths Lane; 1t
should ienlcssly advocate good government
and high standard Of citizenship. In a word,
upon all questions that touch the well-being OF
humanity it should have opinions, and dare, TO
express them. This certainly is not too high
a standard OF too much to expect Of religious
journals. Unless a religious newspaper docs
such work, OF what practical use is it TO com
muniy2
Judged 10y such a standard, the two alleged
religious newspapers, printed in English, in
| Honolulu, excite only pity or contempt. Upon
what public question have they dared boldly TO
express an opinion Take, for example, the
absurd and foolish coronation, with its attend
| ant huluhula indcccncics. In the presence Of
| thousands there was revived and enacted an
| old heather oreie, utterly Undesirable in its
| bestial indecency. II was in direct violation
OF law of the kingdom; it was debauching in
its effects upon public morals, for little native
children for weeks thereafter, on the public
| streets, copied the indecent and lasoiyious
movements of the dancers; it was a lasting
stain and disgrace TO the king and court under
whose patronage ii was held; ii was n world
wide reproach and shame to this kingdom
| How the columns Of any religious newspaper
| worthy the name would have burned with
| righteous indignation and stern condemnation
OF such beastiality. Yet we look in vain in the
columns OF these religious mollusks for single
sentence against this outrage upon the public
morals, while one of them publishes long,
iulsome account Of the absurd coronation styl-
ing it "a Great National Event"
Take the matter Of the observance Of the
Sabbath. 1t is patent to every observer that,
The example and influence of those high in au
thority in this Kingdom has, for some years
past, been steadily and persistently thrown
| against religion and morals, and in favor Of
secularsm and a revival Of paganism One Of
the shortest roads TO accomplish this is to pros
| ti,ute the Sabbath. Hence, in direct violation
OF the law OF the kingdom, the Sabbath is the
lavorite day for royal picnics and catching
parties, and paradcs Of our famous standing
army. These religious newspapers calmly look
| on, and are dumb mummics. They do not
lift finger or utter a word to counteract these
baleful influences.
Take the treatment of the Madras. Here
were hundreds Of Cinnamon, and number Of
| Engishmen, cooped up in a ship sailing under
the British flag, which the incapacity of our
board of health transforms into a rolling, toss
| ing pest-house. Precious lives were needlessly
sacrificed and the entire crew and passengers
| shut up for weeks face to face with death in
its most loathsome form. Civilization fails to
furnish another such case of official brutality
TO look day by day upon such outrageous
inhumanity inflicted upon ones own country
men it would seem ought to stir the blood Of a
corpse. But 1.-THE chaplain of the household"
has not yet learned even of the arrival of the
Madras, II we are TO Judge by the columns Of
the newspaper of which he is an editor. The
other paper, which by its name purports to be
the especial friend OF seamen, is also dumb.
Take the last outrage committed against
the morals of this communicable establish
ment of the new "grog-shop" opposite the
Bethel church. One of our religious news
papers, published three weeks after this new
gin palace was opened, has not yet heard of it.
The other courageously says; awe had de
signed to say something in our little paper
about the new 'grog-shop recently opened
in King street, but our neighbors, the Gazette,
Press and Bulletin, have done il better than
we could have done" And then follows four.
teen lines of very, very mild rebuke ofthe
wicked rum sellers in general, and this one in
particular, but not one word in Condemnation
OF the constituencies cabinet, which, in viola
ton of its pledged word, issued the license,
without which this saloonnever could have been
opened. a man Of straw would have had
more backbone. OF course, we all regret the
licensing of new grog-shops, buff we must
have them, there seems n righteous retribution
in locating this one just opposite the church,
where ministers, the ever-Ieady apologist for,
and admirer Of the premier, And il the pre-
sent " as good government as we have ever
had in Hawaii" intend to grant any mole
licenses, another good location would be on
Beretania street (mauka), just beyond Emma
street.
The ready answer to all this will be, that
% religious newspaper should not dabble in
politics And the ready reply to that cow
ardly subterfugc is two-fold; First, i, is not a
question Of politics, but of humanity, Of
morals, and OF religion. Second, while reli-
gious newspaper should not bipartisan, it should
freely, independently and boldly, discuss
politics in their moral aspects and from a
religious point Of view, and il should fearlessly
demand good government Every religious
Journal, worthy the name, published in Eng
land or America, does this.
Thinking men among us acknowledge the
downward moral trend of this nation during
the past twenty-five years, "What are the
causesa" is frequently, sadly asked, Ger
tainly one Of the present causes of our rapid
moral decline is the utter lack Of courage in
our religious journals printed in English.
They should be leaders, should quicken the
public conscience, and mold the national
thought, on all questions where right and
morality are involved. Instead Of, this, they
utter no word Of counsel, Of warning OF re-
proof II seems that they are of the kind
"whose strength it is to sit still" The editors
Of these alleged religious journals would do
well 10 ponder Ruskin's statement, that the
saS Mf,tsf Of good men Is worse than the
wicked deeds Of bad men,"
" On the fence is poor place for reli.
giods newspaper In all public questions,
where morality and the good Of humanity is
concerned, neutrality, OF silence, is virtual
Endorsement Of the wrong. X. w.
Honolulu, June 7, 1853.
| 1.-THE only comment which the editors OF the
Press feel called upon to make is this; Hun.
dreds Of thousands Of honest, honorable, able
and fearless men believe that churhes and