Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-03-24
Arthur tombstone, Editor and Propr
WEDNESDAY. MARCH "a, 1886.

PUBLICITY of public business is a
necessary condition to civil liberty and
a political guarantee for the supremacy
of the law. In representative Govern
ments we hold that all political matters
are so directly related to the people
that immediate publicity of all Cabinet
actions should be published for the in
formation of the people. Publicity
may not always prevent mischief being
worked by Administration Cabinets
and Boards, but at all events publicity
sounds the alarm and calls attention to
the danger, if it exists. Under old
forms of state-craft seer, cy was con-
sidered one of the safeguards indis-
pensable in political affairs, but in this
day and age secrecy is only tolerated
when Cabinet policies are absolute and
where the "one-man-power" principle is
able to delay publicity until the wrong
is committed and can only be discussed
after the lapse of time when tardy Cab
met reports are submitted to sub
servient Legislature. In free countries
the case is entirely different; SO much
so, in fact, that one of the leading
statesmen of the United States once
said, 81 would not give dime for all
the secrets that people may imagine to
be locked up in the United States
archives"
In treating of this subject of pub
licity, preparatory to making some re-
marks on the repeated attack of the
Hawaiian Government upon scientific
men who have been connected with the
Government, we wish to state that we
hold that publicity includes not only
publicity of the proceedings of Legisla-
lures and Courts of Justice, but of all
minor business that can by its nature
be transacted publicly. If the policy
of Cabinet Administration delays the
publication of matters which directly
affect the public. then the people have
right to demand such publication;
and it is no breach of confidence for
these who have knowledge of these
Cabinet transactions to publish them
for the public good, in spite of the pro-
test of members of the Cabinet, in spite
Of an alleged "breach of official de-
corum," and in spite of a charge made
for the members of such Cabinet, that
such publication for public instruc-
tion is the height of "moral obliquity."
This one-man power in Hawaiian Cab
met policy has already developed a
system of underhanded secrecy and
Journalism that is disgraceful to our
alleged representative Government and
free citizenship.
1t is unfortunate for the Advertiss,'s
attempted defense of the Board Of
Health and the action of the one-man-
power Administration generally, that
the Gibson party has established a
reputation for quarreling with scientific
and professional men who have lately
been connected with the Government.
1t is especially unfortunate that the
President of the Board of Health
should do DR.. Aiming a gross injustice
without the concurrence Of the other
members of the Board; and when DR..
Aiming publishes the facts of the case
that the President of the Board Of
Health should order his official mouth
piece to attack the reputation of man
who dared defend himself from the
secret action and official inuenuo of an
unprincipled politician. Let us com
plete the antithesis: Everybody in
Honolulu is willing to believe the state
ments made by DR.. Aiming; there are
few people, outside of official depend
ants, who would believe the statements
of the President Of the Board of Health
when they attack the veracity and repu-
tation OF DR.. Edward Aiming. The
-Adger1iser is pleased to suggest tardy
course by which DR.. Aiming might be
able to wiring justice from this derelict
Administration, which would ulti-
mately justify his present publication.
There is already suppressed report on
leprosy which was formerly printed in
the Office of the Daily Hauaiian, but
which was never published Precedent
gives no guarantee that this report