Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 300, 13 October 1891 — Page 4

KA LEO O KA LAHUI.

"E Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono."

 

Tuesday, Oct. 13, 1891.

 

From Kauai.

 

            We hear from the garden Island, that the Reform Political pot has commenced to work, and that the couldron, will likely produced a strong ticket for that island for representatives.  The Nationalists are also bestiring themselves.  and are equally as sanguine of carrying that island with a strong representative ticket.  The secret ballot this time it is to be hoped, will prove the popularity of either one or the other of the parties in a fair contest.

 

The Census.

            Our thanks are due to the Census Officer, Dr. C.T. Rodgers, for a printed report of the Census Bureau for 1890.  This document is the most complete of its kind ever gotten up for the benefit of the public.  We have not been able to look over the report and its valuable statistics, but we gather one very important lesson from it: that the native race are not dying out from the lack of births, but from want of proper care and maintenance.  This defect is due to the povery of the race, and the consequent neglect that follows.  Who is to blame for this?  Everybody is to blame, and more especially the native themselves.  The rearing of children in this country, with a salubrious climate and kindly neighbors around one, affords a very fair opportunity for doing so successfully if the Stamina is in the race.

            As we have said the parents themselves, are mainly responsible.  Next in order of responsibility are those who have beeni charge of the education of the people – morally and physically.

 

How to Understand God’s Will

            Through the kindness of the Rev. A. Willis, of the Anglican Church of the city we will be enabled to give our readers, from a Sermon given to this congregation last Sunday, a most valuable exposition of God’s law, from the Word of God itself. without any need of the original Greek or Hebrew.

            The translations and revisions made, under authority and patronage of lovers of the truth, of the Bible from the original MSS are ample and sufficient for the meek and humble minded hwo study it for the knowledge of the salvation it possesses to those who believe.  Those who wish to air their knowledge of Greek and Herew may do so, and vaunt their good fortune in possissing that knowledge over men not as fortunate, but they should remember that too him to whom much is given much is expected, andd that a strict accountability will be held by the giver of those gifts at some future day and a perversionof its use should be @@fully guarded against.  We are all the more pleased to publish Bishop Willis’ views because they are scriptural and in accord with the Seventh-day Adventist’s belief, for which reason the latter keeps the Seventh-day as unchangeable as the law of God is immutable.

 

A Representative for Waimea.

            We hear from Waimea, Kauai, that Mr. D.M. Crowley, has been well received by the people of that district. This fact is encouraging, as showing that the native Hawaiians are ready to stand by his foreign friends.  We alo understant that at a meeting of the Hui Kalaiaina at that place, Mr. C. was called upon to enlighten the masses on the political issues of the day.  Having the “declaration of principles” of the Hui Kalaiaina, the gentleman, expounded and explained the whole of the articles contained therein, when the audience thanked him unanimously, and pressed him to stand as their candidate for representative for the coming election.  We beleive that Mr. Crowley will probably stand in the interest of the people, in which case, he will be opposed to a young lawyer of this city who is related to several of the highest officials of the kingdom, and who will be in the interest of the classes.

 

Decentralization of Power.

            One of the reasons or excuses given by the Leaguers or Reform Party for the course they pursued in creating a revolution in 1887, was that the Chief Executive and his government held too much power and controlled untimited patronage; and that the power and patronage were unduly and arbitrarily exercised.  This feature of the form of our government was in existence at that time no one can deny, and was derived rom an old inherent fendal right, which had not been discarded when the cchange took plae from the old to the progressive or enlightened form of government which superceded it, under the direction of the missionaries.  This right remained and was always claimed by the Kamehamehas, and only used in an imperative manner by the fifth sovereign of that dynasty.  It was done by him, however, under the advisement of his ministers, it being claimed by them for him, that he, the power that created the government, could recreate under the same authority; disclaiming against the voice of opposition that the act was within the scope of his inherent rights and that he felt justified in doing what he did, i.e., to make a new constitution, the Legislature having failed to acquiese ina few unimportant changes which he had intimated was necessary in order for him to take the oath of office under a constitution.

            With the extinction of the Kamehameha rulers, a new line of sovereigns came into existence.  They were the creation of the People, and dated with the election of Prince Lunalilo, a branch of the Kamehameha family, and on his death shortly afterm by the election of a new sti@p, in the person of Prince Kalakaua.  Thus it was that the old order of authority had become gradually extinct, and any undue exercise of it was keenly felt and made use of @@@ the purpose of creating a reveintion – promptly undertaken by the masses against what they deemed a usurpation, and by the classes for their own gratification for power, and for the control of the country.

            The spirit of the revolution, was based upon and consistent with the advnced and most correct views of government, - the rights of governmental powers and the governed.  It was a notorious fact, that under the advice of the administration, the Chief Executive was riotous in the exercise of his rights and privileges, using patronage and pressure against the free will of the people at the polls.  These acts and the continued irregularities on the part of the King and his government lead to the revolution of 1887, and the thrusting of a new constitution upon the people hastily concocted by a few of the leaders at the head of that movement.

            One of the main objects against which this movement was direccted, was the decentralizing of power.  Its war cry was no more Caesarism; it was to be a government of the People, for the People and by the People.  The present Constitution was drawn up to meet this difficulty, and to prevent the soveign from ever attempting any action contrary to the express will of the people.  This idea was the mainspring that gave momentum to the 1887 movement, and obtained the support of the people without which it would not have been attempted.

            In the last election campaign the Reform Party made a great deal of political talk on this one principle, the decentralizing of power.  The National Party their opponents were agreed with them on this point.

            Now the Nationalists, are again in the field, with no uncertain sound in reference to the decentralizing of power.  Under the headings of “Judiciary Reform”  “Public Servants,” and “Electoral Rights,” the people’s party, have boldly declared their adherence to this principle, taking a step further in advance than in the past, by advocaqting the election of all officers, except the sovereign, who is now to a certain extent elective.

(To be Continued).

 

On DIT.

           

That a new Port Surveyer is open to an adept in the business.

           

That Charley (he who holds the joker, and not the premissory man) is likely to beat the four knaves in the next appointment of thief catcher and smuggler, because the former is a royal flush besides being a joker.

 

That a pair of new species of the animal kingdom has made its appearance in the political arena called an Irish terrier and a red-rat, both of whom are independent Home Rulers, by the holy shmoke!  The more the merrier!

 

That in the case the quartette of officials are non-biassed, they will then be classed in jockey parlance as nowhere, as was the case when before the start was made, Capt. Kelley, the owner of the famous race horse Eclypse, offering to betm said, he would place the horses which, when asked by those who bet heavily againt him said as the animals were startin, Eclipse first and the rest nowhere.  Here, it will be Charley first, and Sam and his collegues nowheres.

 

            That there is a young man about town who says, he should have been where Mahope, is but as the latter allows this young man to run him, he is satisfied to wait.  Patience is a characteristic virtur of great men.

 

            That a meeting of the Executive Commitee of the Mechanics, Union will be held next Wednesday evening at their hall, S.W. corner of Nuuanu and King Streets, over the great I.X.L. Store.  The meeting of that body will also take place the evening after.

 

            That there is a new political party in embryo and soon will be hatched, to be named the Young Home Rulers.  They will be quite an independent lot, consisting of Tom, Dick, John and Henry, with the list open for Jack and Gill and a few more of the right stripe.

 

            That one of the opium smugglers who had been on the outer heights, came in from picket duty to report himself; the poor fellow was covered cap-a-pie with read dust, having evidently been burrowed like an Australian rabbit during his absence from town.

 

            That while the gallant owner of the yacht, started out from town heading Northeast for Waimanalo. some one seem to think it was only intended as a “fluke,” to mislead the dectectives, who perhaps are well remembered to be mislead.

 

Platform of Principle

OF THE

HAWAIIAN NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY.

PRINCIPLE OF GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION.

 

1.  We deem that all Government should be founded on the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity; we hold that all men are born free and equal before the law and are endowed with inalienable rights to life, to liberty, to property, to the pursuit of happiness and to self-protection against arbitrary concentration of power, irresponsible wealth, and unfair competition.  We believe that just government exists only by the consent of the People, and that, when it becomes necessary for the public welfare they may abolish existing forms and establish more advantageous and equitable system; and, as the present Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom never has had the approval of the People, but was established by intimidation and fraud for the benefit of a certain class, therefore we favor the adoption of a new and more liberal Constitution, to truly secure a Government of the People, by the People and for the People.

 

INDEPENDENCE OF THE COUNTRY

2. Out of consideration for the inherent rights and present opinions of the native population, we desire to retain the independence of the Country and defend its autonomy, under a liberal and popu@@@@@ of government; but our Treaties with Foreign Powers, and especially with the United States of America, should be revised, so as to better meet present necessities and to obtain more equitable advantages in exchange of those granted by us.

 

JUDICIARY REFORMS

3. Our Judiciary system and Code of Procedure must be submitted to a thorough revision, so as to secure a cheap and prempt administration of justice, free of all sectarian or parisan spirit, and to render the Judges more directly responsible to the People; and we are in favor of a more liberal interpretation of Constitutional guarantees of the freedom of speech and of the press.

 

TAXATION

4. A more just and perfect system of Taxation must be inaugurated, to abolish the present inequities, by which the property of the poor is excessively taxed, while much of the rich man’s goods are under-valued for assessment or entirely escape taxation: we shall therefore demand the passage of laws that will more effectually subject the property of corporations and rich citizens to their just proportion of public burdens, while granting more liberal exemptions to the poor; and as a @@@@@@ of discouraging the locking up of districts of uncultivated lands, a differential tax should be levied in addition to the usual assessment on valuation which should be in proportion to the fertily of the soil.  We shall also favor the establishement of a graduated income tax, and thus expect to obtain ample funds for conducting the government and attending to all necessary public improvements without any further calls on the masses.

 

MONOPOLIES

5.  We shall use our efforts to obtain laws by which all favoritism in the government and all monopolies, trusts and privileges to special classes shall be rendered impossible, by full, definite and mandatory statutes.

 

PUBLIC SERVANTS

6. Better laws should regulate the Civil Service.  The principle of the election of officers of the government by the people should be established, and no man should be allowed to hold more than one office of profit, whilst salaries should be adaquate compensation for the services rendered.  All excessive salaries should be reduced and all sinecures or superfluous offices abolished.

 

PROTECTION TO HOME INDUSTRIES

7. We are in favor of encouraging all home agriculture and industries, and all our native products, like rice, coffee, wool, tobacco, etc. should be protected and fostered by proper tariff regulation; and also it must be the duty of the Govment, in its contracts and other operations, to give preference to national products over imported ones.

 

LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

8. We desire a more liberal policy towards the different Islands of the Kingdom, outside of Oahu; they should receive a fairer proportion of the public moneys for the development of their resources and the satisfaction of their wants.  In fact, the principle of local Self-government should be extended, whereby giving localities may choose the most important of their local executive officers, and levy taxes for the purpose local improvements of a public nature.

 

PROTECTION TO THE LABOURING CLASSES

9. We shall endorse all measures tending to improve the condition of the working classes, and consequently, without injuring any vested rights, we will advocate laws to prevent all further importation or employment of contract labor of any kind, upon conditions which will bring it into a ruinous and degrading competition with free Hawaiian or white labor.  We shall also, in the interest of the better protection of the poor, ask for more liberal exemptions of their property from forced sale on execution, and from seizure in bankruptcy proceedings.

 

SMALL FARMING AND HOMESTEADS

10. The wealthy fraction of our population have hitherto prevented the development of an independent class of citizens; the public lands have been acquired and have been tied up in a few hands or parcelled to suit favorites, and small farmers and planters have been driven out by corporations or combinations of capitalists; but as small farming is conducive to the stability of the State, it should be encouraged by a new and more liberal Homestead act, by which the ownership of small tracts of land and the settlement thereon of families of our present population, - and especially of the native Hawaiians who have been left almost homeless in there country – should be rendered possible.  To that end, the Government and Crown lands, (in so far as can be done without invading vested rights) should be devoted as soon as possible to homesteads and conferred upon bona-fide settlers free of taxes for a limited period.

     It should be the further aim of government to, at once, so far improve the means of transportation, -local, national and international, - as to provide, in all the districts, cheap means of conveying the product of the soil to market.

 

ELECTORAL RIGHT

11. We hold that upright and honest manhood, and not the possession of wealth, arbitrarily fixed, should consti- the right to vote for nobles as well as representatives, and no more power should be accorded to the ballot of the rich man than to the ballot of the poor man.  The discrimination in favor of wealth now made in our Constitution is contrary to all the eternal principles of right and justice and must be abolished.  To this end, we will favor a leveling of the present distinction of wealth and classes which blemish our laws with respect of the right to vote for nobles, thereby restoring to the native Hawaiians privileges which pertain to them in their own country, and of which they have been unjustly deprived.

 

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS

12. We favor the expenditure of sufficient sums to secure a number of needed public improvements @@@@@@@@ and other Islands; school, railroads and harbors and wharves, public light, and also a thorough system of reservoirs and waterworks, not only for Honolulu, but throughout the other Islands.