Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 189, 8 Mei 1891 — THE DUTIES OF THE PRESS. [ARTICLE]

THE DUTIES OF THE PRESS.

The Ka Leo has been criticised at dilferent times, whieh we stand with as good grace ns-may be arvd profit by when possible. • But in regard to our res-pected ccrntemporafi€S there is otie criticism that is Beard alniost daily— there is nothing in them.

For a nc\vspaper to contain no news is a very defect ; but one easily aceoimted for in our pasition. In the first plaee, thero is little transpiring tbat ean be eonsidered news % and secondly, it is pretty bai"d to anything without hiirting souie one's feeling. The care our dailies exercise in this regard prevent 'hem from p.uhlishinp:-an*" n; l; 11 after it is a certai.n an ;i notorious fact, and' fri)in voīcing any* sentiments but weli approved g^neralities. . Th( j ir position is iike that of a preacher who has a wealthv broker and saloon-keeper in his best paying pews, and an infidel who has a mortgagē on the churcli sitting in a back seat, and ai> inlluential tnember whose relations willi his servant giri has been question ed. Now, a pious man. in ord?r to avoid offending any one would l;avē to ieave out the usual ieaehings about moralUv and Chri«tianity nnd considerably diluto v.hatover doctrijiCS he had Tliat is precise!y what happens in inany good ciiurclies.

The loeal papers are subsidised by people in variou| busmesses to be stili and prevent? discussion. It does not require a very high ordei" of laient to>av nothing uiui print advertisements,—-ehurch, government. liquor dealors, jsin miljs, and obsceue patent medicines. By the wav, that vcbast« and immaculate • t Advertiser ,> who thinks it is unfortunate if onr papef falls into the hands of a -liiilV, appears daily with a co:> epicuous notice of Big G. a patent remedy for (ion<»rrhoea and Gleet, afso whites, and another illustrated one al»o\it rupturo. The 4, Advertiser" has opposed every reform that has ever been triade or h s looked with a aolemn pious face while Uie treasury has be«i robbed, pahlie

!oflices f?ivi i n :ih t>» tln* ! bluck eheop <-!' tii<» f;iij)iiy <?oiup;i:tt. while the a(lministration of ju«tice has been made a faree, while the people native and white are being driven to tae wali by ABiaties. ]Sovv the "AdvertiBer" Bavs it is an oversight that the Postmaster j General has not being reqnired to |givebonds. Is it nnt an oversigbt i that the publi3 o(fiee» are full of ante-reform, ante-deluvian corrnption ? Every sale ond eontract h,as been a job. An honest |-njian cannot exist in the countrv i without a '•pnll." The country is fuli of slaverv, whi '?ey, opium, sexual iiiirnorality. lhese things nre uaiiy overlc ked by a pro£s that like our other ■ institution.s bas no other ,'iiiw than to p«y dividendB. We quarteny oxpect to hcar Fort Street Church han •••,deelared a (4ividend. It is our l:ns:!Hss to lioW up to peoni tlie eorruption, the shams an<l wep.kne«ses ol' sociKy that t'ney may be-purified by light and air. We are e<rwdoin.ped_a&! being scurrilous :md ,eoarse.. \W> receive niore eensi2re for puhlie attentioiv to wrOng <!oing than the wrong doers do for ,tlieir sins. In the r 'Pi>r<:diee of the Pa-.ci-fic" it is a worse oflense t© refer to A's mistress tlian it is to keep a haren<. It is not the i>aper but the moral condi' ion of the pec->ple that is vile, and wliieh we strive to~correct. .