Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 190, 11 May 1891 — The Power of the People. [ARTICLE]

The Power of the People.

The DOwer $nd intiuence of the peoplo in political affairs <]epends upon the directnc«s of its appliea- : In a pure deraocracy where the people themselves assernble and decide all questions arisingi the inAueuee of the people is applied direct ānd their power is co!iiplete. But when delegates are elected by the voters to transact the business of state there is a new factor introduced th»t may greatly modify or entireiy defeat the measures whieh thepeople really desire. When these delegates elect others and on the power of the poople is so filtered out as to entirely disappear. In the United Stātes for example, the choose -delogates to a primary conventioi). the convention chooses caudidates, now the vote for one of the candidates, we will say fnr the legislature. The legisiature eleots two The loeal postmaster is appointed by the po6tmaster*eeneral, w.ho \vas nominated bv the president and approved by the senat«\ It will fce seen how rery r«imote and round-about is the iniluenee of the people in;cli©osing their villagei postmaster. We do not have space to trace the course, branching, and r*crossing of the delegated power of the people to choose their own officers; but ii gocs so far and returns bv so dev : ous a route that we niay say that the iieople of the village have no voice in choosing their postinaster. It is lost in the labyrinth ofpolitical maehineryj Not so in the matter of roads and schools. The people elect a Road MaBter who personally su> pervises the work. Thc people vote the tax upon tliei»selves, as mneh as they choose for r»ads and schools. Thcy elect trustees to manage the loeal schools. The elections are usuallv annual, and the will ofthe people is the eontrolling lbrce, Anv unpopular movement is at onee cheeked. * There inav be incompet*»nee but 110 considorab!e nbuse of power is po?sible, Tne postmaster niay put the niail in his hat and go tishing, but t.he ro;*d n):ister and aehaol master do a full dav's work. Ho'»v it is in Hawaii ? iiere the power cnnnot be traced to the people at all, uor t<> any legitin»ate Si>;irce, e\cept, perhaps, the will of i»od. Tiu'peopU», .1 elai:» of them, eK*ct Then there is a hn i ;ik, the streain runs undc-r ihe gruund.

The U'jiiri!; 4 ture uot api*»iut tht* ( ' liiflueiico M ; does th:\t. Th:;t tht> np*: a Marshai, the Manshjl 4HjH)iuts a Sh«rift' *rh« s »ys *\2auiii tht» iMX>pio ! M The Sli"riff apuoirits a IX|»utv SherilT *viK> nppuni:* titr: Th« |>ulie«iuan <io*6 businet-s nsa high\vnv robber ort a small &cale. The ileputj* Pberiff lieen:*® u few select und prifate gambling houset, liquor opium dens and the libv The Bh»*ri<r tikes a ooiumiMien fr«HM i<it« gru:»ts irhol«Miie liiVno«»R, i9sues induigeneie# to <Njntuiit rrimas. takr a it>ii(uderutian for ihot#e aireadr comiuttted; ih ouj«il v plaoateit by h $«cri6ce as a w<tad*n j»od. Tbe Marahali and Atturnejr Ueneral ImpoH thiog« «nd *nter na]. ppoa., aod dv> a ponenl mareVandlM boii* It id not oecewry to go

uito pHi*ticularx;' w 1 t 4 <> .iU. but we i*w»"t uarst to oU'īmkl :<ny Aod where d»*-s the peu) •.'e , s power eome in ? \Vhere if ■ ,h?iniiuenee ofthe voter, »nd o» the public press ? —<.ie:itle readers h does not eome in: it is not iir.it. This kind of a govem:nent is a humbugocracy.