The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-01-16

The Advertiser and the writer who
entertainingly carries the part of the
Bystander in its columns make a
fairly constant custom of closing al
most every little disagreement into
which they may happen to get with
The Star or any one else with some
remarks bearing on graft. The chief
value of such remarks is in their un-
answerableness, and their unanswer-
ableness is due solely to the fact that
they cannot in common self respect
be given serious notice. Hence 1 am
surprised that the Advertiser should
so constantly revert in closing almost
every argument, to such an issue.
The example | have in mind is a few
interchanges of editorial views on the
subject of whether, as an American
progressive tendency of the day, appli-
cable here, localization of government
in the hands of the people or centra-
lization of it in the hands of a few, is
more desirable. | don't know which
was right. ] imagine that volumes
might be written on either side. But
my own editor held, as always, to the
view that in the long run the people
must govern as directly as possible;
also in the municipal mix-up this pa
per took the POSITION that, while it was
easy to be sarcastic over job-chasers,
machines and politicians who thought
mostly of the distribution of spoils, the
jobs, even the small ones, were of inn
portance as an element to be consider
ed in the matter of making govern
ment efficient. To all of this the
Advertiser replied, | don't pretend to
say how effectively. Then behold it's
Sunday wit, crushing in the absolute
forcefulness that is borne in some
minds of remarks which to others are
beneath the propriety of answer:
'.... jobs, which as l learn
from The Star constitute the true
end of government. My asteroid
contemporary has a sweet abiding
faith in politicians, especially
those who have any printing to
give out, which is one of the most
charming things about it,
After this comes the usual remarks
about yellow dogs, all of which sounds
strong, is strong, but is rather old.
Still, despite the cleverness and wit,
it must be insisted that everybody who
disagrees with the Advertiser is not a
yellow dog, and still must l feel with
many other citizens that a man may
be interested in who fills Jobs with
out wanting one himself.
Then, again, abandoning this line
of thought, | cannot but think how
easily answerable all this stuff might
be. Why does not The Star come
out with similar insinuations that the
Advertiser is a CRATER? The Lord
knows the possible bases of such stuff,
and the Lord has known for a long
people would believe it, For example,
the Advertisers campaign for centra-
lized government is consistent, unin-
| terrupted and earnest. Now the fat
| jobs that might go to Advertiser peo-
pie if we had centralized government,
the people here having no say in whom
should be chosen, but, whew,-I am
taking the same inc of argument as
the Advertiser. l apologize, quit, cease,
and beg to state that, by contempla-
ton of the Advertisers steady method
of charging everyone who disagrees
with it with having some graft motive,
l have been led into bad paths. 1t is
admitted in the same column of the
Advertiser from which | quoted that
all of its best people for twenty years
or more have left it to enter govern
ment jobs,-I will not insinuate that
anyone else in any way connected with
it wants any. Really, | am able to
|