The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-07-24

NOT IN LINE,

and reproves errors or misdeeds; q |
tlatterer, who is disguised enemy,
never does. A friend in need is
not always forthcoming in this cold, |
selfish world. Public men, who by
their energy, skill, or the popular
will acquire position and power, are
seldom without a host of flatterers,
who hang on to the skirts of their
garments, or follow in theil train,
cheering and applauding every act
and deed, good, bad, and doubtful.
But friend prompt to indicate de-
fects and rebuke errors is not al
ways at hand.
Public men, all public men, the
most gifted, honest, and expert
enced, have their frailties, and are
liable to slips, stumblcs and falls.
Power in the hands of men, particu-
iarly in the hands of inexperienced
men, is apt to blossom out into arro-
gance, arbirariness and despotism.
The tiatterer is an aid to this end;
the true friend Il check upon it.
In so far as this cantankcrous
sheet, the BULLETIN, has in very
mild and gentle manner alluded to
some public proceedings in a spirit
of rational opposition, and thereby
operated as an irritating thorn in
the side Of the mighty men who rule
the nation, it has proved itself
friend of the most amicable pattern
hated and despised, perhaps, but
a friend all the same-a friend to
the Ministers, the Members of Le-
gislature, and the People. True,
its self-imposed duty in this line has
been very incompletely performed
so little attended to, and so much
omitted. The task, when combined
with multiplicity Of other engage
ments, is too great for one small
''corporosity."
If our great and good friend and
neighbor, the advertiser, would
only lend hand at this friendly
piece of business in which the Bull
LETIN is engaged, the work would be
lighter, A little more than a year
ago the BULLETIN, the Gazette, :"
and the "Herald'' were all engaged
in the same laudable undertaking ;
and didn't they all jump in together
to pile on the Goals and keep the
pot boiling when the Ministry of the
day got into trouble! But now the
BULLETIN stands alone, occupying
the same position it then held and
advocating the same principles.
The "Advertiser,' Judging from
occasional indications, would like tc
help little sometimes; but it can,
not; spell is upon it; advertising
and printing patronage stands in the
way. 1t now and then touches
questions in which the Government
and its admirers are involved, but
all such questions must be handled
gingerly, and speedily dropped a:
too hot and too heavy to be crap
pied with or moved, for any bu
purposes of political clap-trap ant
sycophancy.
The environment of our morning
contemporary is such that he can
not be expected to join sin adverse
criticism of the powers that now be
no matter how just and true, Sc
lar from anything of this kind, he
has recently made q vigorous effort
to show loyalty to his entrammel-
ment by libeling the BuLLETlN, in
an insinuation that this paper ha,
pursued a course of determined
fault-fndlng since the success of tn
reform movement" What "an ugl
fling" and how undeseryed!
Instead of determined fault-fnd
ing" we have followed a course of e2
treme moderation, considering their
Vulnerable opportunities which hay
presented themselves for the eXel
else of gall. Whenever reason;
BILE excuse for commentator ha
offered, we have seized it with ali
Gritty. Had the BULLETIN been anA
ious to "fnd fault" it could hay
exhibited in its columns many thu
have never been recorded there.