The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-24
THE GRAND JURY REPORT.

Yellow journalism as it is practiced
In this city was severely and properly
scored by the Grand Jury in its final
report. Charges recklessly made were
sifted and the result was like the find
ing Of three grains of wheat in Graft
amos bushel of chaff-you searched all
day ere you found them and when you
found them they were not worth the
search. .AAAl
The exposure of yellow methods is the
more vivid in that it is made without
the appearance of heat,or anger. The
report contains no trace of PARTISAN
ship or vindictiveness. 1t simply holds
up the voluble accusations of a public
scold, comments upon them with calm
scorn and dismisses them as so many
impertinences ought to be dismissed.
Nothing could be more admirable than
the tone of the Grand Jury; nothing
could be more scathing than Its con-
illusions.
Take some examples: The pioneer OF
yellow journalism, in an effort to get
the notice of a disdainful public and
to make trouble for appointees of Mr..
Dole charged that the liquor-selling
resorts at Waikiki were under the pro-
lection of the police, doubtless for a
consideration. Having examined this
sensational canard the Grand Jury
says: 1--WE failed to find that police
protection had been promised or guar
anteed to these resorts although we
made careful inquiry
Again the yellow journal had broad
ly limited that the police were getting
Illicit revenues from Iwilei. Says the
Grand Jury: mo evidence whatsoever
was obtained tending to accuse the
Police Department of extorting or re-
celving brides or of abuse of their
authority" The yellow journal had
made its charge but it could not pro-
duce one fact in substantiation of it.
h The police were accused of profiting
by seizures made in raids. The Grand
y Jury took the matter up and 1t says:
mo reliable evidence was presented
to US to show that illegal acts of this
nature were committed by the police "
Finally the Grand Jury lifted this
saffron paragraph from the libellous
publications:
Every man who knows anything abou
the Courts OF Honolulu In the past know.
that favoritism has been open and no
torious. favored few could have case,
they were interested in tried Immediate
ly or postponed at their pleasure as the,
would demand. They cannot do this nov
and therefore the same cordial relations
do not exist between the Bar and tn
Court as heretofore
Every man who knows anything
about the courts of Honolulu-and the
writer of that paragraph has had 9
most limited acquaintance with then
as with everything else Hawaiian-wa.
aware when he read the accusation
that II was false. The Grand. JURY
shows that the editor of the yellow
Journal could not substantiate hi.
charges and that the witnesses he sum
moned testified against him. 1.-THE ar
ticle In question:" says the Jury, wa.
evidently written without mature con
alteration or essential knowledge.
We condemn such serious charge.
without evidence to support them" Ii
this condemnation the Jury was an
ticipated by the public which long ag,
placed the yellow morning journal II
the same category as its extinct prede
cessor and prototype, the Volcano.
But enough of the newspaper casti
cation. We now turn to the significan
fact that the Grand Jury found the ad
mlnistrative powers and methods o
Hawaii to be clean, Straightforward,
and efficient; sometimes bit antigua
ted or subject to minor and immateria
defects, but on the whole, so far as tn
Jury could discover while following u
charges of wrong-doing, an admirabl
system. Is II not wise, therefore, 70
the taxpaying public to resolve Z
maintain this Government with all it
powers, voting down every attempt t
divide its responsibilities with system
as yet untried in Hawaii and preserv
ing intact a Government, the fruits o
which are economy, integrity and eff
cheney in public office.
The Bulletin applies itself to the mu