The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-12-18
SENSlTlvENESS.


by Government apologists that if
they do not suppress criticisms of
the acts Of the Kings ministers, and
become the most humble and obedi-
ent servants of those officials, they
will inevitably bring disaster upon
the country. Opposition to the
Government, we are told from day
to day with the most persistent iter-
ations, means everything that is
malicious, unpatriotic and disloyal.
The deeply-dyed scoundrelism of
political opposition parties has been
denounced so often, since the days
of Hampden, that executive bodies
must be sorely tried in patience
and endurance. 1t would indeed be
extremely convenient if every con-
stitutional power at the present day
could dispose of opposition after the
manner of Henry the Eighth. But to
the extreme annoyance of modern
potentates, the headsman and the
hangman have Jagged behind among
the campfollowers of civilization,
and are called to the front only
when assassins and traitors are to
be dealt with. Under these circum-
stances, it seems most likely that
even the rulers in charge of the
destinies of Hawaii will be obliged,
little longer, to face the music of
vigorous opposition, And it is the
more certain that they will continue
to find these nasty thorns of opposi-
ton among the roses of place and
power, inasmuch as they have them
selves to thank for their cultivation.
That the credit of the Kingdom is
not altogether satisfactory abroad
is condition of things the response
bility for which is very convenient,
and doubtless necessary, at the pre-
esnt juncture, to transfer from the
narrow shoulders of the administra-
ton to the broad backs of the oppo-
sition. The state officials would
doubtless be well pleased to pose
as martyrs OF the agitation set
afoot by the opposition. And this
is about the burden of the political
war cry of the coming election on
the Government side. Such cry
is little less than an admission Of
weakness. Tenderness to criticism
is not characteristic of conscious in
tegrity. And it is no fault of the
critic if the members of Government
are over sensitive to investigation.
There is little use in Government
apologists bowling at the disastrous
consequences to the credit of the
country abroad produced by popu-
lar criticism at home, while the
policy which keeps our credit at a
low ebb outside of the Kingdom
also produces and maintains a chro-
mic state of dissatisfaction within it..
Circumstances, beyond the control
of the Government, may have ren-
dered it impracticable to redeem the
silver certificates with gold coin, as
provided by act of the legislature,
but any Chinaman's clerk could
have informed the Minister of Fl.
nance and his colleagues of the con.
summate absurdity of Ministers ex-
pecting to maintain credit abroad
while unable to meet their legal
obligations at home. When the adj
ministration is conducted in such 9
manner that all legitimate drafts on
the Treasury are promptly met, and
when appropriations are framed
with view to the efficient mainte,
nance of public service instead Of
public figure-heads, and when public
improvements take the places OF
empty state pageants, the credit OF
the Kingdom both at home and
abroad will be established beyond
the reach of the Opposition to hurt
it. The credit of the country will
stand or fall on its merits, opposi-
ton or no opposition. 1t is only
necessary in proof of this statement
to refer to Great Britain, the United
States, OF Canada, where opposition