Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 77, 3 April 1894 — That Oath. [ARTICLE]

That Oath.

A HoL( KD \ liaving set*n Mr. W. O. 8uiitliV “By AullioiiU ' interj)ret ition of the oath iequir.(l by t!ie new cor»stitnt on.-il c('iivention ;ict of llio P. (J. e.ilīnl npon Mr. C. W Aslif< id o: ] lls keil liini. “Whnt »1 i yon tli:nk t.f Mr. Smitl.’s iutcr;rot.tiin of tlic oati.r' Mr. As1ifonl ro])lied. * I t!iink Mr. 8mitli is not iaekinp in ;issurancu wlieu lie assnmes tlie ! jiii1icial f;inction of st itinpf. in un ndvertiscment, t!i«t “tlio follow- . > s •' l correct statement of the intentionof t!io cis*," pref ic'<l by tlie expI.uiat on t!nt “it hap bcen (leeme.l advisablo t!iat an nnt!ior.t ttivo st itement on t!ie snbject be m ul .” 1 have not observed \vli. rein Mr. Smith is i]ualilied. o!iiei;iI!y, (liowever, i lr < £j.ily quali{led lie may be inteb lect’.i'!Iy), to ma,ke an “unthorit i- ! t:vc sbiternent ,, of t!ie me,ninq of ' nny law. Tliat fnnction has bere tofore l>ofu (xclnsively ex< rc : s .1 bv ,tlio Cor.rts.andr n-ni nw.ue of no sncli c1iai ge in tho laml ns substiti.t 's AF r. Sruit!i’s opinion /or n jndicial decision ii])on t!ie me 'iiirig of a' law’’ of bis own mnking,’’ Eeportcr, “Bnt wli it do yon thinfc of his interpretatinn, as «n exp*'sitiou of the raeaoing of the law?’ Mr. Ashfonl. * ] think Mr 8m;t!i does not correctly npprebend his own law. !♦ is a fundainentd pnneiple of th* liw of constructi<m t’ntaliw s!iall be interpreted to mean wli.it it s«ys. —n tiiirg more and notl.ing Ioss. ! bot Mr. Sxnith S(»*'l,s to app('nd to Ihe word • oppcse” in the o,ith. ( s relating to tho Monarchy) a moaning whieh it will unt bear: and to s-(ldlo t!ie conscientious vo{or with tbo obligition of vonching. in advnnce, for the attitu !o of tlioso for whom he votes as delegates to tlie conveu- . tion. I do not see ihat Uie sense i or logd ctfect of the oath has beeu at all altered by the snbsti- ; iniion of tho word ‘oppose” for • the word “ros;st. A man who is sworu to “opj)ose, is bou;xd ' to ‘‘resxst t!xo re estab’:shment : of tuo Hoaarchy. If tho idea of . the word ■ ns st’* waa to inipose > an obl ga(ion t*x tako np nr»ns io ; opjx situni to thu tv e«tab!ish j \ a«ut ui &uo uiuaarchy, Ihul oU» 1 i

g t‘on bas r.ot. in my opinion. <• »:i ;.t il’| ?e--*e ; «l by t!i? snbs‘ * :. i { {! w<»rd r• * « • ī iee cf “r> -st E : r“ r. “V;*L tdoyon think d tl;e «>atb g:;ner.tlly? D-* , s ;t fTcet t«ie prese>«t alleg:aECO of , • t'.;osc who tike it? Mr. Asl:f«>rd. ‘*11 is not sucl .n c .ti. as I shonld ctre to t «ke !ln !• y opinlon it d es c!i t: g“ t p st tus > f fore'gn s : :l;ject3 nnd r- :;s. by dej riv!np t! «»a rf : i* r foieiga c‘t:z«*u*ki;» and ' . -ti? t’ng Hawuiian c.ti [ze"slt ; p ti:ercf»r. v> n will <>b- * • * - ne tbat tl:e j orson t >king the ; oatb swears to * bear t!ie «S!egi :nee t > tbe I’r ;v;s.onal G v< in | raent <-f t;;e Hawa : m Isl <nds i N >w, to tt»e 1». st < { i«y knowl- * «-dge. snch w rds Iiave oi»ly one mcanirg. wliu b is, that wbere- . ‘ - >!i hwc»i*ii:g m:«y h <ve prcvions •v < ■.'•> 1 »r«g .nee, yet, bv j t t'u t >a‘li. he transfers l.:s <’!«-giance t«> the Provisinn «1 ii vornnj«-:»l <*f tho Hawaii.m i'i .;. !•.. N > lunu ean be a c.ti ; z>-n or su!>j«?ct ••{ t'.v > p >wer.f at n*‘ ;r; 1 i e s.if:;0 ti»:i •; I am i\i :■:• t .«t sorae ol <<.;i A <•;. i resid:--;ts J>r foss to t’> nk •l.H-rentlv, l»nt 1 aj*prcd»tnd tliey : * i! :s‘ keu in their opi»»ion. Yoa w .1 r« mea>bi r tliat tlie 1 <\v f 1c v 7, in pr 'iT !>:; g tS»e o>tl» ■ | ■ > b • t>k< n by votors, o:nitted he w v r<l ‘ «llogi mee, ’ aiul eont.;;.«.«! t!.e ox, i’.-'S provision that | ihe swe;jrer \vaS “not iierel>y re1 ; ;; >.■nc;ng, but espros»ly resen*:ng ■v f n.»;cr !illogia’ico.” and the • v, l>r sw<>re only to “snpport” the Cor.stitntion, whieh in Vi i ee i meant t > alist:iiu from eif >rts to >vert low it. On tho whole it is . ny i:n i voss'oa tliat forc’gners 1 taking tho oath now prescribcd, • w II wake up and fi.«d thems>*lvos :v;tho«it t!»e pr<>tcotion of tlieir :«)i:n« r citizensbij>, aml th >t the ILiwaiiaii P»ovis;onal G >voramont has bcei» snbstitnted for , their own, as their “polilieal oareiit.” It was, « f course, enm1 i t‘.;nt for the cmincils to have pr<el;;ded all <lonbt npon t!iis .'.)l-jcct, by adoj>t5rig ti:o saiue ; n <;f e.ilh, so far as it relates i;> tiu* votcrs al!ogiance an«l citiz i.ship, as that lier tofore in • •HVct. Bntthey sa\v fit u tto do 'O, an.l inust be considered ag ii iving <lis;ij>: roved the f>>rm wh eh i>iv>vi<les for tho relonti«>n ! 11 1 >• \ >tev’s pr< s-‘nt citizenship, and t > have adnpte<l the form o\v in eiil'el, as a rue.ins o{ ox.i:gnislj i g t:ic oxisting ailogi■no ; of all foiv;igners who n ,\v s\\var. 0»i tlio score of citiz ns!i.p, theiv:fore. I jnofer. ar.d •iany « t ;cr f«>roiguers w.ll n<> lo,;bt j’iv fer to let the j>roseril>t <1 >ith so\viv;'y alone, as that is s< im‘ihing too .seri«>ns. to ba reu <I;«-d oven by th« ‘•«uthoritav.‘ st.t monl’’ of Mr. W. O. ; S.nith.’