Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 308, 23 October 1891 — Platform of Principle OF THE HAWAIIAN NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY. [ARTICLE]

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 establisded by intimidation and fraud for the benefit of a certain class, thefefore, 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. INDEPENDENC 0F 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 popular form of Government; but our Treaties with Foreign Powers, and especially wilh 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 <illegible> JUDICIARY REFORMS 3. Our Judiciary system and Code of Procedure must be submitted to a thorough revision, so as to secure a cheap and prompt administration of justice, free of all sectarian or patisan 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 the press. TAXATION 4. A more just and perfect system of Taxation must be inaugurated, to abolish the present inequalities, 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 means of discouraging the locking up of large tracts of uncultivated lands, a differential tax should be levied in addition to the usual assessment on valuation, which should be in proportion to the fertility of the soil. We shall also favor the establishment 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 statues. 6. Better lāws should regulate the Civil Service. The principle of the election of officere 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 T0 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 Government, in its contracts and other operations, to give preference to national products over imported ones. PUBLIC SERVANTS 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 proporttion 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.