The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1895-08-28
Newspaper "Pufs."

it is unwilling to puff" any body
or anything simply because it is
asked to do so, An honest effort to
satisfy all without doing what we
esteem to be wrong will be found in
the following explanation;
Whatever seems in our Judgment
by reason OF its character, position,
or attainments, to justly deserve
special mention, will receive it, and
those things which do not, will not
receive anything more than is given
to all.
Newspaper "puffs" in the ordinary
sense Of the term, involve a species
OF lying. II everybody is equally
praised, it follows that everybody is
equally worthy, or much Of what is
said in bestowing such equal praise
is untrue. The latter is generally If
not always the case.
The praise OF him who praises all,
is more scandal than anything else.
1t is like the fattery of the base de-
ceiver, given with an eye to SUBJ
stantial return in kind or some other
kind, and accordingly is disgrace
to both giver and receiver.
1t is true, and the greater the
pity, that there are those who are .
conscious of the necessity of white
washing. They expect to control
newspapers, public officers, and every
principal avenue to the public mind,
in such way that at will they can
have their praise spread abroad, or
the SANDER that will kill and ruin.
somebody else.
Newspaper puffs are one Of the
great blots upon our present day
civilization. In this western world
we do not have to contend with the
minions who cluster around ty-
rants court and derive their power
to cast down or lift up whomsoever
they will from that tyrant's favor;
but we do have to contend with the
handling of venal press by those
who thus seek to make themselves
and unmake others for the satisfac-
ton of greed or ambition.
Newspaper puffs which tend to
lift men into positions of trust or
emolument, are, to put the matter
plainly and without a shade of relax
alton from the truth, generally the
lying condescension of the giver for
the sake OF the monetary conde-
scension of the receiver. They are
the most disgraceful thing connect
ed with the whole newspaper bust
ness.
Editorial commentator should
mean at least three things: That
the editor esteems himself COM
petent to Judge, with some degree
OF accuracy, the things or matters
commended; that the editor fully
believes that every word of the
commentator is literally true, and
that the conditions are such that it
will affect the public mind to the
accomplishment OF good; that no
compensation has been given or
received for such commendation,
and no undue influence brought to
bear to secure it.
The sale of editorial columns,
local or otherwise, is the sale of the
editor himself; and the charge made
is the estimated value placed upon
himself by himself
If there is any one thing which
the readers OF newspaper have a
right to expect, it is that the utter
ances Of an editor shall be his own,
and made in the exercise of his own
free will and uninfuenced judgment,
not the utterances of an advertiser,
or an Office seeker, who puts words
into the editors columns and pays
for the privilege Of doing so at SO
much line.
There is another species of puffs
which do not cost the receiver any
thing, because he fills the, position
of volunteer associate editor, and
puffs himself. When we began work
on the predecessor of the Patriot as
editor, on going to the editorial