The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1884-10-15

but, unless repeated again and again
from every platform in the country,
their influence passes away like the
early dew Of morning. If the news
papers display too little variety in
their style Of hammcring at II sub
iect, that is a literary fault that may
make people sick of u matter of in
finite Importance to them. Faithful
preachers have been pitching into
" the world. the devil and the flesh
for eighteen hundred years, but no
one is sick Of the performance except
persons whose interests are bound
up with those primary sources Of
evil. IN an address delivered before
an American Press Association a few
years ago, we think il was George
William Curtis. of H0pers Weekly.
who said that the function of the
press was TO effect things OF
course the supposition is that it is
right things which are to he effected,
as it was the legitimate mission Of
the press which was being consider
ed. 1t is true that there is host of
things to be effected, outside of
politics in the narrower sense of
offensive and defensive operations
with regard to the Government, but
we do not know that those other
things are neglected by the live press
of the time. From business point
Of view politics should figure largely
in the press that courts public sup
port. for the largest class of its con-
stituents take u deep interest in
politics. 70 come home. the qucs-
tion is, What things require to be
effected in the politics Of this King
dom for the good OF the inhabitants
of il: The answer must he formed
by every conscientious mind accord
ing to the state of affairs presented
/ to it. If the country is being
governed we'll. those SO governing it
should be supported. If the country
is being governed ill. those so GOV
crning it should be opposed, No
matter how well the country may lac
governed MS q rule, false steps and
wrong courses should he faithfully
pointed out. No matter how i'll the
country may be governed as rule,
good conduct in any particular
should be honestly acknowledged
and commended. Individual iuds-
mcnt must be exercised to decide
whether or not a Government has
gone so far in wrongdoiDg and in
disregard for the interests Of the
country rs to have irredeemably lost
the confidence Of the people. We
must act in the living present, and
the allegation that past managers of
public affairs have been as bad as
present ones, is II side issue until the
alleged unfaithful stewards of the
past try to secure the rcins Of power
again, and then their record is fit
| subject Of discussion One other
point that is often raised, and we are
done. Measures and not men "
should be discussed. True, but
public men cannot he dissocatcd
from their measures, for by their
measures alone can they be Judged.
Therefore, any criticism of public
men, upon the grounds Of Their Off
/ cial conduct and actions, may be too
violent in degree or ilI-informed in
its premises, but it is no infringe
mcnt of the maxim quoted. Upon
such lines aS those above drawn. we
believe that the political battles of
the country should be fought ont
with unhagging persistence, Many
readers Of newspapers may be sick
of politics, but many more, we
believe, are sick Of bad government.
There is, at all events, Il great deal
of matter for non-political readers
even in the newspapers of Honolulu.
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EDITORIAL NOTES.