Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-05-26

REHor5g or HR. sJ.TsSOs.
MI a. 7. Atkinson, principal Of the Fort
stree, School. has been notified by the board
II education that his services will not be te
luired after the 18th of next month The let
cf of dismissal was received on the roth In
slant No reason fof thc action was assigned. a
formal curt "noticc 10 quit was served
upon the victim II the boards displcasure :
and there the matter rests. The board oi
have waited some time TO worl, their
yengcnce on Mt Atkinson Their dislike Of
him has been long well known. The present
hoard came into power ~ successors of = board
who refused 10 ouu Mf. Atkinson at tho die.
taiiun Of the present president " the board,
whose public offices were then fewer, and
whose opportunities fof wrong doing were
considerably smaller than they now are. Mr..
Atkinson must long have known tha, his cx.
pusurc ol official malcasancc would cost him
his opinions and preferred to lose well paid
position rather than keep silence about the
follies aud double dealing Of the corrupt adj
ministfation which the president Of the present
board of education so scandalously represents
Mr.. Gibson dare not meet Nit Atkinson in
honorable controversy through the columns oi
paper, or in public speech. The eowardly
policy Of injuring Mr.. Atknson's income Is
typical. II is meant TO hulldoac everyone In
official employ, to silence criticism Of minis.
tcrio conduct, to foster sleepy acquiescencc in
the two men power Of two distmstcd men, and
to pave the way ior subscrvien, legislature
and more bad laws. Mr. Preston has resigned,
Mr. Bush and Mr. Kapena are mere puppets.
MI Gibson holds the rcins Of power by pan.
dcring to the worst in the kings nature. Both
have set their faces towards a reckless, unin.
tclligcnt, selfish, personal rule. How long it
Is going TO last no man may say.
As in everything, there are two ways oI
looking at this question. There are those
whose obliquity Of moral vision Is equal TO the
task OF seeing only jusiifable selfprotection in
Mr.. Gibson's action. Those ultra charitable
folk take the ground that every man mus, look
gu, for number one, and that when Mr.. Glib
son Is hit he has perfect right TO strike back
Perfectly logical argument this but those whc
hold this doctrine must not lose sight of on,
important fact Mr.. Atkinson is right, Mr.
Gibson is wrong the former is an homes
man, working for the public good the latte
is schemer, working for his own base ends
There is no relation Of life in which Mr.. Akin
son has not won the respect and esteem Of a
least portion of the community; there is NJ
known relation Of life, in which Mr.. Gibsoi
has not earned the distrust and dislike Of mos
of the community. May. the day soon dawl
when ii will be impossible in this nation 70
any ruler to impose such a man as Mr.. Gibsoi
upon the tolerance of citizens. May the hou
come swiftly when the moral sense of all tn
people will demand Of their chief ruler that hi
advisers shall be able and reputable, or that h
shall give way to some one who will do as tn
sovereign people demand. In this new orde
of things educated and intelligent native Iia
waiians will be glad to unite with the taxpay
ing foreigners and, if such union may b
brought about, the personal rule Of bad men ii
this kingdom will totter on its last legs int
the last ditch. Then, and not till then, cal
there be hope Of genuine reform in Hawaiian
affairs. Then, and not till then, will the con
tinuous prosperity of these islands have reason
| able assurance,