Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1885-01-17

The hard working editorial writer
who does his little best TO please his
little Hawaiian public is very like in his
feelings the editorial writer who doc
his big best to please some larger pub
lie Each likes appreciation The ap
proval Of ones own conscience Is good
to many II is sufficient bu, | have yc,
To NEE, the writer who did not court
the approval Of some one OF Of many
remember once playing Gil Bla,
to the " Archbishop" Of writer who
has great vogue in San Francisco
Many a time ! have listened and ap.
plaudcd and have known tha, even my
tyro approval was appreciated. !, too,
have now my Gil Bias and his quail
fed praise or discriminating cchsurc is
always welcome. And the other day
he said 81 liked one article in last
weeks paper II would have given me
new encouragement TO carry on the up.
hill fight | am making, II ! had not re-
solved upon another line OF battle.
lie had told mc--or another had told
me only the week before, tina, he dis
approved in toto Of an article in that
weeks paper valued his judg
men, but ! f,ised his sympathetic
insight,
have been led to make this appar-
emily cgo,istical statement because |
have felt for some time that the public
ought to hear a little plain language on
something that concerns them quite as
much as it does me and this is, perhaps,
my last opportunity to say it. The
proprietor Of the Saturday Press is one
of the most modest Of men-perhaps
the last man in Honolulu to Sound
his own trumpet" But his relation to
the cause OF reform ought to be rightly
understood and rightly valued and !
think never saw my duty clearer than
in what am about to say.
Mr.. Thrum has conducted the Sa,ur.
day Press for nearly three years. When
he assumed responsible control he did
80 at no small sacrifice of time and ef
fort. He has put into il three years 0,
his hf and every reader can, by refec
ton, bring himself to realize what tina,
means. He has made paper that ha,
been reflex Of the man---brave, un
yielding, not always kindly yet thor
oughy sincere.
The Press has owed its chict merit,
to Thomas G. Thrum. The fautts o
its conduct have belonged chiefly tt
Others. The Press has been outspoken
and has tried to be fair. Courage anc
, justice have been its mainsprings. L
has not always been fair-because hu
manity is human and injustice is :
human inheritance. And yet I realize
and | think MIR. Thrum realizes-tha
the paper has often been misunder
4 stood-and there has been some reason
for the misunderstanding. l think
realize the reason-that reason has beei
!. the Saturday Press attitude on the sub
ject Of Leprosy.
i, In one issue OF the Guide this week
/, | made the following statement:
c IT, as has been said, the Press fight agains
leprosy had been result merely Of the idl
observation Of new conner, without medica
+ knowledge, without actual study Of the disease
/ without long continued conversations about
with the most experiellced physicians in tn
: kingdom-if that were true ,ha: paper woul
deserve the execration of,h entire community
=. But precisely opposite conditions made III
fight what it has been. When the present ed
J tor Of the Press landed in Honolulu, in Marc
Of S3 he found the paper committed to tn
d course it has consistently followed. The ne,
l. editor became naturally interested. He mad
the acquaintance Of the writer whose article
, on the topic had caused the paper to be bo,
: feared and respected. Through that writer h
n was able to acquaint himself with facts tia
'e convinced him Of the logical force, the accu,
n acy and the honesty Of the articles which IN
Press had been printing and continued to prin
Had he not so believed he would have resignc
his post. Sine. then the Press has publishe
many articles on ieprosy, none Of any length {
IS Importance having been written by the edito
Of Yet none have appeared that had not his apprs
IA val II those articles have done harm 10 III,
they have called attention ,siadispatsbis kct
- is il the journal that calls attention TO tho
4 facts which should be censured. or the author
c ties who are responsible for those factsi "
h have no fear that the Hawaiian nation ev,
n has given. or even will give wrong answe
u One final VOID As to the "political" aaim,
of,he Press In discussing lepsosy. Ithas NOT
:. whatever. Believing as il does, il believ
that Mr.. Gibson ough, to be ous,ed. But
MI. Gibson and the king should unite ,o-mo
- row to abolish Kaksako, TO send all the LEI
'e en that could be found at once to Molok,
h to establish separate asylum for leper chill
\. ren and another for doubtful cases, each und
,s charge Of physician in whom the eommuni
has confidence, then the Press would be amoi
. the first to applaud their action and co-opera
n with them in trying to make the plan 81
er eessful reality.
ne have been made to understand |
the plainest Of plain language that n
e course in the consideration Of that top