The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1884-09-26

1--WE OI Huulc-ldIt,le, Jle hellllu anu |
nadir of the arc intellectual, the
Antishamus and Iona of the Bullo- |
tin and the Press. And when Anti
shamus, accustomed all his life to
make use of words for the expression
of thoughts and to employ logic to
test the fitness of words, and then
only with strict economy, discovers
Iona playing the part of reckless
spcnd-thrift lavishing the precious
treasure on the trillcs of sewing
circles, hc feels an irrepressible desire
to grin and distort his visage. But
when, further on, the Arab beholds
the Pedant foundering in the mazes
Of premise" "proposition," ICON
clusion," and syllogism," " face
tious citizens and serious school
boys" "rulcs of composition," and
" rhetorical construction, taking
his first step into valley of tears by
confessing that he "writes the Eng
lish language but indifferently WE'LL"
and the second by stating that he
dare not set himself up as critic"
the Arab is seized with a pious
yearning TO rise up, slay and
devour.
Now, it is conspicuous to the
"vision " of an " Indifferent "
English scholar that Iona wisely
disclaims capability to write English
other than "indifferently WELL"
and that he is within the limits of
truth when he acknowledges his in
competence "as critic" but it is
not so "palpablc " to the same
"vision that he is liable to point
out those grosser blunders such as
the way-faring man though a fool
may find in the editorials Of the
Bulletins every issue;' for it is a
fact, that the greater part of what
he indicates as "grosser blunders "
are not blunders at all; or, if
blunders, they are blunders which fire.
quently occur in the published writ
ings of such literary tyros as Scott,
Buckle, Sullivan, Arnold, and many
others, and are defended by such
ignorant critics rs Crombey, Morell,
Cornwell, and Irwin. But man
who cannot understand how a fact
can be pdlpdJle to the uision is
scarcely the proper person to distin
guish blunders from correct English,
although he may quite likely decline
acknowledgment of any greater
authority than himself.
My vision" is not very strong
in fact, l have to use spectacles to
read Ioma's letters; but don't need
spectacles to see that he has fully
established the right to adopt the
words of Dogherry,-' Write me
down an ass" This is a palpable
fact; it is, indeed. Iona has un-
doubtedly written some nice things,
perfectly suited to the mental cali
bre of society journal readers, but
| would advise him never again to
enter upon a subject which is clearly
beyond the scope of his knowledge,
and 60 wandering into the realms of
language, so full of devious paths
fatal to the exit of the uninitiated.
The logos'' or spiritual elixir of
thought, reduced by metrical solu-
ton to choice form Of words, is in
effect Il trivial manifestation, con-
fined chiefly to few old skulls
charged with brains, and which res
pectable people like Iona, who OBJ
serve the fashions and things of
equal Importance, should avoid as
bad company, low and Improbable.
Of course, the law does not compel
| his acceptance of this gratuitous
advice, and he may, if he so desire,
still continue to exhibit his "ignor-
ance" and egotism," and keep on
making himself ridiculous" and
still be tolerated by good
natured people, without fear of
being expelled with horror and some