The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-05-28
KNOCKERS ARE
MUCKRAKERS
ACTING GOVERNOR ATKINsON's
MEMORIAL ADDRESS AT CEN
TRIAL UNION CHURCH.


body. The Acting Governor
was introduced by the Rev w. NJ.
Kincaid. After some references to the
war and the forty years of peace which
| followed, also to the Spanish war OF
recent years, the Acting Governor
| turned to discussion of present con-
| ditions and local civic duties. He said
| in part:
! But, while we recognize our proud
position in the world and our great
power for good, we must not overlook
the power of evil threatened by the ag-
] gregatton of great wealth i'm the hands
of few This has been brought forci-
! bly, home to us by exposures in the
business methods of large Eastern cor
porations in which almost every fam
lily has a direct personal pecuniary in
/ terest. Laws have been violated
/ through greed for gain. There should
! be no danger of deterioration in our
citizenship, so let us hope that the
temptations which overcome men of
supposedly high principles in the East
Will never gain a foothold in Hawaii.
! On the other hand there should be no
"muckrakers" in this Territory. We
want the best class of citizenship, citi-
zens who will lead in the recognition
and UNFOLDING of the laws, as affecting
politics, and civil and criminal proceed
ure. The Constitution of the United
States gives every man the right to
cast his ballot, and any attempt to
prevent his doing so is cowardly act.
Unfortunately we have at times ex-
perienced here a desire of a few, in
spired solely by self interest, to defeat
the laws. The fact that men have
been elected to frame and enact legis-
lation has been overlooked. Govern
ment of the people and by the people
has given place Ito an effort at class
legislation to be enacted through the
courts for selfish motives. Again we
have seen the proper course of the law
interfered with by misguided, though
well meaning. citizens who are led
away entirely by emotions of false SYM
pathy. They object to the enforce
ment of a law and array themselves
against those who are directed to up
hold it. Where an offense has been
committed the law should be allowed
to take its course without interfer-
ence. Such sympathy is calculated on
ly to encourage lawbreakers and to
discourage jurors and Lawmakers. 1t
is contrary to every principle of human
liberty. Respect for the law should be |
taught by every, American mother to |
her child. 1t should be taught in the /
schools. It should be preached from !
the pulpits. 1t should be proclaimed in |
legislative halls and enforced in courts |
of justice. But who will respect the !
law when they see efforts for it's eva
sion by those who should be among the |
first to aid in it's enforcement?
ION every hand we hear Shiny, !
mushy gushy expressions of sympathy |
for criminals. We have maudln senti-
ment in favor of murderers and an abb
solute forgetfulness of the rights and |
needs of the families of the murdered. |
The sympathy is for the criminal, to |
help him escape the punishment justly |
due him for the crime that he has con |
mitted. But 1 have no sympathy for
criminals. My sympathy is for their
victims and their victims families
Here in Hawaii we have a small !
though miscellaneous population. and |
we have probably the hardest educa-
tional problem in the world. But the
American people have never failed no |
matter how great the emergency, no !
matter how grave the crisis, to meas
ure up to the highest responsibility of |
honor and duty. Unfortunately our |
American citizenship is comparatively |
small, but the school room is open to |
every boy and girl. In it the rights
apd duties of citizenship can be
learned. The best sentiment comes
from American homes and as long as
we keep the homes pure, so long will
we keep our government pure. Our
American citizenship in Hawaii. how
ever should be enlarged. We need inn
migrants of the right kind They will
be of the right kind If their children
and grandchildren can meet your own
on terms of equality-not otherwise.
Il have used the term muckraker, |.
which, since President Roosevelt's ref
erence to Bunyan's famous character
has become term applied generally to
those who have eyes only for muck.
Honest, fair, well-founded criticism or /
exposure of corruption or error Is val
liable beyond description. But it is diff
ferent from SANDER and from reckless
and circulation of inbound
ed attacks upon our fellow citizens 1t
is different also from the small spirit
of the knocker. In many communities
1t happens that. by some accident OF
other, small men at times are able to
seem large critics of public servants,
and some discrimination is needed to
judge between the healthy honest criti.
cism of the conscientious public-spirit.
ed censor and that of the petty quibblef
whose motives are personal Further,
In the heat of our political strivings,
let us remember that SANDER is not
politics, and that innuendo should al h
ways be regarded with suspicion.
I'VE should remember that not only
Is it wrong to bear false witness I
against our neighbor, but that it is also !
an injustice to listen to those who bear