Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 303, 17 September 1894 — The Oath and the Tiser. [ARTICLE]

The Oath and the Tiser.

Altbongh we feel somewhst sorpnsed yet we hail the Adrtr—'tVr editorial cf thia morniog with s dec|vfelt dcgree of p«rfect «pprec ation. Mr. Annstroag tells ns tbat an oatb. *ud roorr c«peciallv a political oalh to a repol»lic. like tbe one cxisting , nnder tbe sway of the present f«sihonai>le **DoIeres is of no aeeounl wbatev*-r aod is not a matter of eonaeienee, būt of eonveoience. The following paragraph proves conc!nsively the priociple under whieh tbe gov‘ rnmcnt supporting onth takers work. “Gali!eo had a good work : ne rouscienc« when be took. nnder f« rce, the oatb to the cborch, tbat tbe earth was fl<t, and, at the s«me t me, wbispered to his fnends, " It’s ronnd. all the saoie.' It is evidcnt that certain foreigners, troub!ed with a eonsc enee whieh according to Ad - erti*er etbics is unbealtby have refas>d to take the oath to tbe repnblic and thereby placed the power that be in a sad dilemana. It is a pity. but it is a fact that three of the most valaed teachers of thes Fort Street School have refufted to be recommissioned on the “swearing - ’ condition. Ttie teachers referred to ure women. Among the many blunders of the e nstitati»n raakeis was tbe demand that women in the employ of the government raust take the ! oath although no right are grant cd them besides drawing a paltiy salary for whieh they give value to the utmost limit. The Adverii»er advises these )adies to bary their conscience «nd take ar>y amounl of oaths. Couscience according to Mr. Armstrong is a very elastic «ffair und the eonaeienee of the majority is farbetter and of a highorstanding than theoneof o minority. We adopt bis He illastratos it in tbe followiug tuanner: “It was my coii8cieatiou3 duty to 8tir up a sl«ve insurrecti>in in Virgini«,” said o!d John Brown. I “lt ia my cons(Mentiouft dutv to i hang you for it.” said tlie Gov- . ernor of Virgiuia. Both eon scieuces were hard at work, but the conscience of the majority , had its own wny. as it usually does, evcn if it be quite wrong lf that is correct then tbe Advertiser hus j>roven beyond doubt why people troubled with conscientious scruples should not take the oatb. Tbe “people’’ of Hawaii is in the majority. The repnblic is iu tbo minority. *‘The ! couscieuce of the niajority will have its own way,’, says the Ad- \ vcrtt8er. “Kigbt you are, Moses,’’ say wo, and we are the people. The concludmg liuoa of the Adcertiser editorial is uiost refresbing ns eomiup from a ! “Christiau ' jourual. The missionary elemenl must indeed have been oliminated from tbo editorial room of the Aducrtiaer ior ihe followiug lines would never have been pcnueJ; lf t>ie old martyrft, who were burned at th<* stake forrigbteoas ness sake, were to return to life, somo of them would say that tbe i lino between consoientlousness and pig-headedness was narrow anJ very inJistinct.