The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-05-14
AN INDIGNANT FRIEND OF THE
HAWAIIANS.

The occasion which has called
forth the following indignant protest
is now some days old The particu-
lar article our correspondent refera
to has been already dealt with pretty
thoroughly in our columns We
have, however, thought best to pub
lish the letter, not only out of regard
for the writer, but because His per
sonal qualities, as we'll as his wide
and varied knowledge of the country
and its people, fit him to speak wisely
aud justly concerning the rights and
interests of native Hawaiians. He
writes as follows:
"MR. EDITOR: / cannot, of course,
assume to dictate rules of propriety
to the Bulletin. Neither can l re
frain from protesting against the
impropriety of it's recent conduct
1t may have had some exceptional
reason for printing the gross and
brutal language employed by
Equity" toward Hawaiians. L am
unable to feel assured Of what the
Bulletins real motive was in print
ing that letter. am unwilling t.
trace that motive in the prompt and
malignant use made of that letter by
the "Elele," which selected and re
published in Hawaiian the most
atrocious of it's words as being the
sentiments of the ADVERTISER and its
friends. As one of that number, l
wish to record my emphatic reprOba-
ton of the imputed ideas, and of
everything resembling them. 1t
has been said that the only good
Indian is the dead Indian; so we
say, the only good Hawaiian is a
silent Hawaiian i. e., one who has
no vote. Such language is not only
inexcusably brutal and insolent to-
ward the native and original pos
SCISSOR of the country and its govern
ment. 1t is also grossly offensive to
the many friends of the native 1t
insults the intelligence and shocks
the moral sense of good men. If
any quasi-reputable person in Homo
lulu really holds such opinions as
Equity expressed, he should be
compelled to keep his brutality to
himself. The newspaper that helps
him to publish such ideas needs to
explain it's conduct, and does not dis
miss responsibility by expressing
dissent, however emphatic, to such
indecent sentiments. The Justice
and expediency of the native Ha-
waiians voting for their Legislators
has been thoroughly established by
time and experience. 1t is too
obviously their right, and has been
dication to be needed. No one would
pretend TO question it, except for
deliberate purpose of mischief"
With the substance of the above, |
we are in full accord. With the ex-
ception of few phrases, and, as it |
seems to us, tendency to the undue
multiplication and repetition of |
strong epithets, we endorse the Ian
guage rs we'll. A newspaper dis
claims responsibility for the language .
of its correspondents. 1t under
takes to give large liberty to the ex
preston of opinions adverse to its
own. But there must be limitations
to that liberty. A journal that re-
spects itself and It's readers will vigi-
lsntly guard those limits, and will
not permit any correspondent to
transgress them. Profane and bias
phemous expressions will be shut
out from it's columns, however they
msy be allowed to garnish the con
Versation OF men. Obscene terms
and sentiments will share the same
fate. Language broadly and coarsely
dispsraging to classes of people held
in any esteem, particularly if carried