The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-02-16
CURSES ARE
BLESSINGS

Editor Advertiser: It would appear
that what we deem the direst curses
often prove to have been blessings in
disguise Especially is this the case
where we have been wise enough to
take advantage of the lesson received.
1t is frequently remarked by preachers
that the primal curse, thou shalt earn
thy bread by the sweat of thy brow
was the greatest blessing mankind has
had. 4 life of inertness would never
have brought man UP to the present
| standard of nature and the sciences.
The being compelled to struggle and
| compete with one another for liveli-
| hood has resulted in our delving into
the hidden secrets of nature and UNI
covering the wealth in all forms which
have always existed. With our present
knowledge of the world and its inhabi-
tants. wherein we see side by side the
primitive methods of cultivating the
soil as practised in Africa and Asia
and our advanced methods of cultivat-
recting the soil, manuring, fertilizing,
shielding the growing plant, and in
economical harvesting, all of which has
been brought about by competition.
We speak of nations being punished
for their cruelty 10 their neighbors for
getting that their own actions brought
about in a natural way what we denom-
mate punishment. Egypt, Babylon,
Rome, Greece, and all the great nations
of the past, some of whose capitals
cannot in our day be discovered, are
samples of this natural law.
The hidalgos of Spain are already be-
ginning to understand that the depriVa-
ton which she endured of her colonies
and navy through the action of the
United States was the blessing which
was necessary to compel her to look
into and improve the resources of her
own country.
To speak of our own land, we recall
the prophecies of Wendell Phillips,
Lloyd Garrison and other anti-slavery
men, who so loudly projected that
America would surely be severely pun
ished for the liberation of slavery. The
loss of millions of lives and untold
wealth (al of which might have been
averted) is spoken of as the prophesied |
was deemed so severe that the South |
was unanimous in asserting that death |
was preferable. Today it is recognized |
IN the whole area south of Mason and |
Dixon's line that the loss of slave labor |
was the greatest blessing the land had
ever enjoyed.
The grandest country in magnitude is
Russia. If Russia can be taught the
essen that to develop her own re-
sources is her duty and should act on
hat theory, would not the expenditure
# a 1.-THE of what she does in armies
md navies for aggressive purposes for
the development of the
country result in increasing the happi-
less of millions of the human race?
Locally could we not say that the dis
strous result of the great storm we
ave just passed through and which
ntailS the expenditure of thousands of
ollars to repair the roads and bridges
nay prove a blessing rather than a
urse in compelling us TO abandon the {
mention of spending an immense sum
n useless st. Louis Exhibition build
ng or on the erection of futile ar
lories? In fact the introspection {
hitch naturally follows the effect of
UGH a disaster is more than apt to /
ause US to see the necessity for local |
For instance the inadequacy of our (
chooI accommodations for the enor-
lous and rapidly increasing number of 7
nose of the school age may now re-
Give the attention which it deserves.
in many other ways local i'm
rovement may be impressed upon US.
JAS. w. GIRyIN.