The Hawaiian gazette., 1888-02-21
One Kind of Donkey.

As we stepped on the front plat
form of a Mob Hill street car, the
other day, chance remark foated to
us from the dummy. 1t was by no
means an original remark. The same
thing has been heard before, many a
time and oft. and yet it has never
failed to arrest our attention and
cause us to regard the perpetrator
thereof with interest, and certain
bloody, savage, half-folmed desire to
kill him on the spot. In order to
avert further painful curiosity-we
will print the remark:
I've often thought I'd write for
the papers myself-be an editor, you
know"
These are the words, but the tone
of gentle conviction and calm assur-
ance in which they are uttered is be
yond the descriptive power Of our
weak pen. We took in the speaker
with our usual interest in the species.
Yes, we were not mistaken-he is a
true exponent of the type, with an
inch and half of visible Uranium
intelligent eyes, weak, uncertain
mouth and chin, and a countenance
expressive only of supreme self-satis-
faction. Fancy HIM in the editorial
chair! Ponder on the weight of his
political and social opinionsl Imagine
the force of his style! And yet, not
for one brief and feeting instant
does he doubt his capacity to
fill the place to his own salts
faction and to the satisfaction of
everybody else ! This is one of the
sharpest thorns in the flesh of the
scribe. This calm assumption of ig-
norance, which so cheapens the value
of FRAMEWORK as to fancy Its highest
achievements within the reach of an
out-stretched hand. This sort of ig-
norance flies over the editorial chair
and above the newspaper column,
and sees itself printed at will in the
magazine of the day or within the
covers of the most successful novels
We have tided over the impetuosity
of early and extreme youth, and we
have learned to carefully weigh most
of our impulses, but we have not yet
lived down our burning desire to say
to this order of donkey, "Come !
Write us an article p We would
like to assemble together this family
of fools-eould space be found for
their ACKNOWLEDGEMENT watch the
agony Of their struggles for a print
able idea. We would like to con
vince them that journalism is neither
relaxation nor pastime to be taken
up at any playful moment. We
would like to impress upon their
empty minds the solid fact that a long
apprenticeship must be served at this
as well as other trades ere even the
naturally clever youth is fitted for
the reporters desk far removed as it
is from the editorial chair.
know a woman who makes her
own Clothes" said clever lit
erary woman to us, one day, and she
often says to me. Why don't you
come oftener to see me-you have so
much more time than J You know
[ do all my own sewing That
woman knows perfectly well that l
earn my living with my pen, but do
you suppose it occurs to her that
there is any effort in the matter?
Why, it was only yesterday she OBJ
served with a plaintive sigh, What
fun it must be to write for the papers.
I've often thought I'd like to write,
if l didn't have so much sewing to
do 7 This is the price one has to pay,
l suppose, for ones superior intelli-
gence ~ S. f. News Letter.
Congressman Knute Nelson of
has said that he will de
cline denomination to Congress this
year, because being in favor of rev.
enue reform he would be black |
sheep amongst the Republicans,
therefore whatever usefulness he |
might possess would be neutralized. !