The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-07-02

splendid spiritual effort, with really fine
exhibitions OF patriotism and public
spirit, as we'll as ability, which made an
epoch, founded the modern nation, and
created It's religion, government and
laws. The heroes of that period were
men OF real character, force and zeal, and
wider circle of interests than the mere
Iy personal. Well, that epoch passed
away with the men who made it, and
the nation went to sleep again. Since
then we have had some private enter
prise, but little public spirit. There
have been individual instances of the
latter of course-as there was one
righteous in Sodom, some not without
faith even in Israel-the world is never
absolutely without such; but they have
been isolated, results of private charac-
ter, not of a movement; particular evil
dences of worth and character, but not
marking and making an epoch. This
was the condition of affairs, until the
nation awoke again, on the Both of June.
The Both of June was a day of
awakening. We hail it as a new dawn,
and do not see why it should not repre-
sent the beginning of new epoch. It's
political bearings should not exhaust it's
significance. The revolution found the
country in the hands of an effete and
useless government, a government which
was utterly corrupt not merely because
of the positive fraud, self-seeking and
extravaganza there was in it, but also
because it was utterly without public
aims. That kind of rule is absolutely
without raisOn d'etre, it has no excuse
for being, and ours was dying because of
the total lack of what Is the only true
public ends.
The new government has put an end
to all that, partially at any rate, but not
altogether unless it, acting collectively
in it's policy, and individually in the
persons OF Cabinet Ministers, Legislators
and public officials of all sorts, can recog-
nize what is the only true function of
government, the conserving of public in
terests, and the forwarding of the com
mon good.
These are platitudes-some one may
object. So they are, or should be GER
tainly; but they are platitudes so little
understood, that three-fourths of the
public men in the United States neither
recognize them in their public utterances
nor live by them in their acts, whatever
their private beliefs may be- A move
ment has begun, however, in the United
States to reinstate healthy political ideas
in the popular consciousness and in
public life, to enforce the conviction that
public office is public trust" some
thing to be carried on for the public
good, not as means of reWarding ones
friends or discomfting one enemies. We
cannot reach sound political condition
until this truth is recognized by office
holders and voters alike, and until every
one is ready to lay aside all personal
grievances and animosities whether we'll
founded or i'll, and join in every measure
which promotes the common good.
you introduced it yourself or
not, whether it happens to be a pet
with yorr personal friends ornot.
You cannot have healthy politics until
you divorce absolutely public from private
and in short learn to APP
proach state and governmental problems |
from the impersonal, that IS, the rational |
point of view.
The conclusion of the whole matter is |
this. The political changes which were |
lnaugurated by the 30th of last June |
furnish the opportunity, if it is intelli-
gently appreciated, for new and
brighter era in this Kingdom not merely
in the political, but in the social and |
commercial spheres. The people are, at
east in measure, politically awake.
1t depends upon us not merely to go on
and add to the liberties already secured,
out to open up and develop by wise
public policy, all the numerous avenues
% prosperity and wealth made accessible
% us by our unrivalled climate, the fer
ility of our soil, and our advantages of
every sort. The next ten years may see
| railroad around this island and
mother on Hawaii; the different islands
with each other by cable, and
he whole group with the coast; num-
Der of new and valuable industries estab-
ished by private enterprise and gov
aid judiciously given; the
abor problem solved in way which will
i've us an intelligent agricultural class
Irawn from the civilized nations of the
Vest. with lands divided up into large