The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-07-07


Mr.. EDITOR; Liberty of the press is universally
recognized as one of the most sacred rights Of a
constitutional government. Through it are es-
tablished the right and opportunity of criticizing
actions on the part of the government as we'll as of
the people, aud undoubtedly by u proper and
prudent exercise of this privilege the interests Of
truth and justice are furthered and the liberties
of all concerned protected.
Another merit is that an "untrammeled press 4"
reflects the sentiments of the faction it represents,
and thus a community is not long ignorant of the
elements contained within it. AS long as there is
freedom of thought in an intelligent community,
50 long there will be differences :of opinion con-
corning the problems of the day, and so long as
all men cannot be brought to see through the same
transom there will exist in such a community an
So opposition press" OF at least an opposition party.
When such a press is satisfied with truthful cTiti-
cism and supports a policy of fair-minded opposi-
ton, even if such a policy is based upon concep-
tions, it will hold a deserving place in the
estimation of honest patriotic citizens but when
it so far forgets the dignity of its mission as to
degenerate into a cynical sheet, content only with
heaping calumny upon the heads of public
officers and Of the government, it simply reflects
the cankered spirit of disappoint grabbed
office seekers it is about time that the better class
of the community, to use an ordinary phrase, sit
down upon it,"
In its issue of last week the Saturday Press pro.
duces several articles under the semblance of ain
attack on the King and His Ministers which for
vulgar scurrility surpass anything yet produced.
Seemingly unsuccessful in its policy Of opposition
the Saturday Press has thrown off the guise of hon
orable journalism and now resorts to methods riv-
aling in their baseness the most sensational dema-
agogic sheets. The article entitled 'The begin
ming Of the end - seems to be one great effort to
concentrate as much low personality within a
given space as language is capable of expressing,
while under the heading Of {" More Sunday Read
ing, " a good article from your paper is so per
verified by insipid attempts at wit and personality
producing such a chaos of blasphemous ribaIdry
as to disgust the most i%ndulgent reader.
After such a display of de,nier resort it behooves
a careful public to ask itself whether the reins Of
Government could safely be entrusted to a faction
that stops not at methods, be they ever SO base, to
further their ends. An impartial reader cannot
fail to draw the line between the action Of the
" Government and the opposition press in
this controversy. When We compare the course of
the respective editors, the query forces itself upon
us, - who is the gentleman? As far as the writer
has seen, the ADVERTISER has never sacrificed its
dignity, has never resorted to those detestable
methods of peccant journalism of which the others
have been guilty, and whether they will or not all
honest citizens must confess that throughout, the
bearing Of the ADVERTISER has been markedly gem
tlemanly and generous compared to such exhibit
tions as that on the part of last .Saturdays Press.
Argus.
We have received several communications on
the above subject but think the interests of the
public will best be served by publishing only
one.-ED. p. c. A