The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1890-01-28


led emotions OF pity and contempt for the
men who are so narrow-minded and
preludiced as 10 suppose that their polit
ical opponents are "deluded." As the
ADVERTISER happens to share this very
prejudice We feel natural interest in
following the course of reasoning by
which the would-be respectable organ of
an opposition largely disreputable, proves
the narrow-mindedness and prejudice to
be real. The argument, if it is not too
much OF a stretch OF courtesy to call it by
that name, proceeds as follows:
Politics are not an exact science, all
men are liable to err; it is a common
thing, too, for political opponents to ex-
aggerate their differences, as we'll as to
ascribe to others a number of dangerous
vices which they do not, after all, pos
sess. The Republican party supposed
before the election of Mr.. Cleveland that
a Democratic success would prove the
ruin of the country, and yet Cleveland
was elected and no one much the worse
for it. 1t makes no great difference
which OF two political parties is success
ful at the polls, things go on very much
! the same whatever the result happens to
| be. And so forth to the end OF the cal
endar. Therefore, it makes no difference
which party is successful, and those who
have a different opinion are narrow
minded and prejudiced. Q. f. D.
What use to be made OF all these
worthy old saws OF course if these
pretended demonstrations OF our dialect
zeal evening contemporary prove that
political cynicism is the true spirit to be
cultivated in this country, they prove a
great deal more. They prove, for in
stance, that the wave OF popular enthusi-
asm which carried Abraham Lincoln
into the Presidency in 1861, was great
mistake which never could have been
made if the American people had only
surveyed public affairs from the calm
height OF our evening contemporary; it
proves that it was matter Of very little
importance in the development of Amer
lean affairs whether the people elected
Lincoln or any other candidate who
might happen to be nominated to run
against him; it proves that it is a matter
of no moment whether Boulanger gets a
majority in the French Chamber or not
that it would make very little difference
tie the public whether the German liber-
ais GUST Bismarck. We ourselves are
weak-minded enough to suppose that the
Northern patriots who voted against
Lincoln were very fatally ''deluded;"
that the admirers of General Boulanger
are fatally "deluded" and gulled; and
that it would make vast difference in
German affairs if Prince Bismarck should
hand over the control of the empire to
his political opponents.
1t is time that all this talk should be
known for what it is and that the guilt
BILE portion of the public should no long
er be humbugged with it. Such talk is
either foolish or criminal. There are
real issues here which men who are
both honest and intelligent cannot refuse
to see. First and foremost among these
issues is the preservation of the liberties
won in our late revolution. The Reform
party won and has preserved those liber-
ties. The Re-actionary party are de-
nouncing the revolution OF 1887 as a
crime. Does that not make an issue?
1t does with men who are not so eaten
up with the leprosy Of indifference that
they have ceased to feel or care. One of
the. most prominent nominees of the
Re-actionists regards himself, and is, a
candidate for a cabinet position. His
previous official career is one long his
tory of malfeasance in Office, extrava-
gance and waste, and shameless abuse of
the public trust Do these facts raise no
issue? They DO, for honest men. 1t is
an undeniable fact that large number
of the voters Of the country are Reaction
airy in sentiment, and are running, in
opposition to the Reform party all over
the group, men whose whole previous
career is one of servility and subservien-
cy to the King. Does this fact suggest
no issue? 1t does 10 all but the blind.
But it is waste of labor to exhibit
and specify facts which are as clear as
day, writ so large in the signs OF the
times and the history of the country that
] he who runs may read. We think that