The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1890-02-22

ing TO still other criminals, There |
is no revenge in it. 1t is n cool
business proposition. which he will
accept or reject, as he pleases.
Out on the frontier we do not try |
him at all. Here in the enlightened |
part of the country we give him all |
the advantages Of astutc or tricky
counsel, an opportunity to six" the
jury, and hope Of ultimate escape
through the ministrations of emo
tional idiots, who will not see that
in signing pardon-pctitions they are
not so much helping the convcts as
releasing lazor-shorp weapon To
he turned against that society Of
which they are part.
1t is also sad and significant
outgrowth of the aw.abiding system
that when a distinguished lawyer has
succeeded, by his eloquencc or other
means, in having self-confcssed
murderer acquitted, all the other
counsel within reach congratulate
the victorious practitioner upon his
success in turning a red-handed
Cain loose on the community. The
advocate don't want justice; he
only wants to clear his client.
1t may be true in the abstract
that the professional gentleman is
to be commended for his ability, but
the citizen has a deeper interest in
the practical outcome Of the system
| than in the success OF an individual
| The newspaper, as l understand
it-and | will take one of our metro
| politan sheets rs type lis daily
history of the world, with comment
on the events which make up that
history. need not speak of the
enterprise of the press in its pecu-
liar field, for 1t not only gets on the
inside Of nearly everything going,
but its versatile agents once in a
while get in on their cheek and come
out by the ear.
The press makes many unavOid-
able mistakes in both its historical
and editorial capacities, and in some
cases particular papers may he used
as organs Of corrupt persons or COM
binations; but, generally speaking,
the editor-in- chief, however diaboli-
cal he may be as an individual, has
weather eye open TO the fact that
the public who support him have not
yet become sufficiently decadent to
wish for the ultimate triumph Of
wrong. So his paper is almost al
ways found on the side of morality
and justice-politics excepted.
The question of newspaper trials
lies very close TO some of the found
ational principles of American citi-
zenship. 1t goes deeper than that,
for it has TO do with that INDICATED
essence which makes man the con-
ditional arbiter of the destiny of the
earth. Lord of all else. can man in
his collective capacity govern him
self as an individual! And just in
this direction of governing himself,
comes in the newspaper as the great
popular educator, with n branch
school in every home in the enlight-
ened world.
! The verdict of twelve men in a
| jury-boX is remarkable product of
civilization, but the just verdict OF q
great people is Il terrific entity which
laughs at imbecile statutes and with
q master-hand tears the mask from
hypocrisy and wrong.
1t is with tins great popular vcr-
dict that the newspaper has directly
to do. The Supreme Court of the
United States-our very pinnacle of
legal authority-said in effect that
slavery should continue; but a
great people educated by an un-
shackled press, found contrary
verdict, and backing their verdict
by million bayonets, SWEPT that
relic of barbarism from American
soil. There was a triumph of JUS
tice in direct violation of a Supreme
Court decision.
To larger degree than books
and preachers, the newspapers are
the speaking tongue Of the genius
of modern civilization. They are
the condensed voice of this great
world of ours which is striving up
ward toward the light. l am so tar
optimistic that l believe the greater
half of humanity have a genuine de-
sire to rise, and l believe they find
in the newspaper their best friend.
Is this statement true! Find me
a population weighted down by a
despOt-whether it be monarchy,
polarchy, or even anarchy-and !
will show you there press shacklcd
by edicts, muzzled by censors, and
strangled at once when it departs
from the creed established by the
autocrat.
The preacher is theoretical gen.
tleman, and apart from his dogmas
and iniinitesimal subdivisions of
doctrine he has but little time to
feel the pulse of the active world
about him. Your professional sal
vationist travels within the limits OF
an extremely circumscribed horizon
so far as worldly matters are con-
cerned beyond his salary and the
woes of his own congregation, and