Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 295, 6 October 1891 — Platform of Principle OF THE HAWAIIAN NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY. [ARTICLE]

Platform of Principle OF THE HAWAIIAN NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY.

PKINOIPLE OF GOVER?JMENT AND CONSTITUTION. 1. We deem that all Government should be fonnded on the pnneiplee of I Liberty, Equality and Fraternity; we hold that all men are born free andequal before thelaw and are endowed with ina3ienable rights to lile, to liberty, to propertp,- to tije parsnxt t>f faāppn>ess | and to aelf-proteetion against arbitrary ! concerrtration o! power, irresponsible wealth, and unfa\r competition. Webe« lieve that just government exists only by the consent oi the People, and that, when it beeomes necessary for the publie welfare, they may ,abolish existing form£ and eatablish more advantageous and equitable system; and, as the present Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom never has had the approval of the People, but was establisded by intimidation and fraud.for the benefit of a certain* class, therefore,. we favor : the adoption of a jaew and more liberal Constitution, to truly secure a Government !o/ the People, hy the People and/or the People. INDEPENDENC£ OF THE COUNTRY 2. Outjofconsideration fortheinherent rightsand present opinione of the native poptilation,i we dereire to retain the independence of the Country and defend its autonomy, under 3 liberal and popular form of government; butour Treaties with Foreign Powere, and especialiy with the United Btates of America, pre«€nt necesBities and to obtain more : equitableadvantagee in exchangeof those i granted by UB. i ,j l " - ■■■■■■ ■ ! . ■■ ■■ ■ ■! ; JUDICIARYREFORMB 3. Our Judiciary syutem and Code of Procedure muat be eubmitted to a thorough reviskijQ, |bo as to secure a eheap and pr«mptadministrationo%astice,lree of all sectarian'or patisan spirit, and to render the Ju<iges mor6 directly responsible to the People; and we are in favor of a more interpretation of | Constitutional guarantees of the freedom ©f speech and the press. j | TAXATION 4. A raore just and perfect sv&tem oi Taxation must be inaugurated f to abo* i lish the present inequalities, by whieh I the property of tlie poor is excessively taxed, whiie niueh of the rich man's goodsj are under-valued for assessment or entirely eseape taxatien; we shall therefore demand. the passage of laws that 'will more effectuall}' «übject i the property of coijporations and ricli eitizens to their ji st proportion of puhlie burdens, wliilu granting more liberal exemptions to the poor; and as a means of discouraging the locking up oflarge tracts of uncult:ivated lands, a differential tax should be levied in addition to the- usual assest;men/ ©nvaluation.which should be in proportion to the fertility oi' the soil. We shall also favor th« establisliment of a graduated income-tax, and thus expec; to obtain ample funds for conducting the government and attending all necessary puhlie improvements without any further ealle on the masse?. MONOPOUEB 5. Weghall ase our efforts to obtain lawh by whieh U1 iavoritism in the go**« ernment and all monopolies, tnists and privilegea to ?pecial classes shall be rendered impoeeihle, by fall, definite and maiidatory statnte6. . PUBLIC SERV.iNTS. (k Betler lawsshould regulate the Oivil Service. Tlte principle of the tion of ollicere of tlie govemm»nt by f he people pho\ild be aml no man should bē allowed to h<>ld more tban one ofiice oi profit, whilst salaries shouid be oompensation for the sarvicee rer <iere<l. All excessi ve salaries sliould be miui-ed and all sineoures or superf 'uous oftices aboKsh«d. PROTECTION TO HOME INI>l r STRIKS 7. Weare in favor of env\>uraging all hoine agnoultnre and inilustriee, andall our native products, like ric« t wool, tobacco, etc. should be proWcted

and fostered by proper tariff regnlation; and also it must be the daty of the G«vment, in its contracts and othēr operatio&s, to give preference to national prodncts over imported oites. * LOCAL SELF-G()VESNMEOT 8. We desire a more liberal poiicy towards the different I»landfi of the Kmgdom, outgide of Oaliu; they should receive a fairer proportion of the public moneys for the devel6pment of their re~ so«rcea and the sassfactirn of thfār wants. In fact, the principle of loeal Self-government should be exteaded, whereby giving localities paay chdpse the mosl importāiat of th«r loeai eSeeaiivf offieers, and levy taxes for the purpose loeal improvements of a public nature. PROTECTION TO'THE LABOURING CLASSES 9. We shall endorse all meaßnret tending to improve the condition of the workingclassee # and consequently, without injuring any vested rights, we wili advocate laws to prevent all further *mportation or employment of contractlabor of any kind, upon condition? whieh will bring it into a ruin®ue and degrading competition with iree Hawaiian or white labor. We ehall also, in the interest of the better protection ol * the poor, aek for more iiberal exemption? of tlieir property from foreed sale oh execution, aud from seizure in bankruptoy pioveeāmgB. SMALL FARMING AND HOMESTEADS. 10. The :vealthy fraction of our population liave hitherto prevented the developmentJoi' an independent class of citizene; the public landB have heen acquired and have been tied up in a few hands or parcelled to suit fav«rites, and small farmera and plantere have been driven out by corporations or combinations M capitalists; but as small farmii:g is eonducive to the stability of the -State, it . — ahooM , pe eucouraged by a new" an«t more liberal Homestead act, by whieh the ownership. of small tracte of land an 4 settlement th©reon of fexnilies of ourpresent population,—andespeeiaily of the native Hawaiians who have been left almoet homeless in tlierecoun-try.-should be rendered poss',ble. To that end, the 'Government and Crown Jands 4 (in so f ar as can be done wlthout invad!ng vested rightē ) sho#ld be devoted as soon„as possible to homesteadsv and conferred upon bo»a-fide settlerK free of taxes for a limited period. It should be the further aim of government to, at onee, so far- iniprove the means of loeal, nationand in ternationalas .to provide, in alb the districts, eheap means of eonvevmg the product of the soil to market. * KLECTORAL RIGHT. 11. We hoid that upright ana manhoo«i, and not the possession of wealth, arbitrarily fixed, shouīd constithe"right to vote for nobles as well as representatives, and no more power ' shou ld be accordetl to the ballot of the m * n than to - the ballot of the poorman. The discrimination in favor of weahh now made in onr Constitution is conti-ary to all the- eternal principles of ri B ht a«d justice, and must be abolishe<l. To this end, we wīll favor a level» ing of tlie present disUnction of wealtb and classes whieh blemish our law witli respect of tlie right to vote for noWea, thereby restoring to the native Hawaiians privileges whieh pertain to them in tiieir own country, and of whieh th«y have been unjostly deprived. INTERJS\4X IMPROVEMENTS 12 We favor the espe&dUore of Bntlicient sums to sec*re a number o£ needevl puhiie impros-ements oa Omhn awt other Islands; iHihool, railroads Attdharbort> and wharvw, puhlie light, and alao a tliorough sy%tetn ol reswrvoire and w **® r "Works, o«ily fcwr Heotolulu, bat through-ont the other Islands. : " Ke hoike ia akn nei ka lohe i na po® lawe pepa &ixtiuMr. Palto, ua hoopau ia &oo* lawe ana i** n\ipepa aua oki ia . aku kona inoa inai na luna aku uo poo iaiei keia pepa, e oluolu e hookaa mai nia keia keeiia, Ma ke Ka\2oba.