Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 310, 27 October 1891 — Platform of Principle OF THE HAWAIIAN NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY. [ARTICLE]

Platform of Principle OF THE HAWAIIAN NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY.

PEINOIPLE OF GOVERSMENT AND CONSTITUTION.

3. We deem that ail Goveoiment ehould be founded on the princsles of Liberty, EqaalSty and Fraternity; we hold that all men are born free and eaual before the law and are end<»wed \vitli inaJienable rigbts ti>life, to liberty, to propertp, to the pursuit of happiness and to self-protection against arbitrary concentration 6f power, irresponsible wealth, and unfair competition. We believe that just exists only by the consent of the People, and that, when it heeomei necessary for the publie weifare, they may abolish existing forms and establish more advantageous and equitable Bjfstem; and, as the pr(vsent 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 clasB, therefore we favor the adoption of a new and more liberai Constitation, to truly secure a Government of the People, by the People and for the Pedple.

INDEPENDENC£ OF THECOUNTRY 2. Out oI cons ideration for the inherent righte and present opinione ol the native popnlation, | we dersire to retain the independence o| the Countrv and defend ita autonomy, imder a liberal and populf.r !orm of government; but our Treaties wilh Foreign Powers, and especially with the United State9 of America, shonld be revieed, 60 as to better meet present neeeeeiwea and to obtain more equitable advantagee in exchange of those granted by «8. JtTDICI|RY REFORMB S. Our J udiciarv Byst«m and Codeof Procedure mu?t| be stibmitted to a thorough revision, j» ae to eecure aeheap andpr*mpt administration of jnetice t free of ali or patisan spirit, and to render tW Juoses more directly reppousible to tlie Peopl©; and we are in favor of a inore liberal inteipretatkm of ConBtitutional guaranteee of the freedom of ppeeeh and the prees. TAXATION 4. Amore |ustand perfect syeton\ oi Taxation must be inaugurated, to abo* lieh the preeent ineqnalitiee, by whieli theproperty of the poor is fXoeB*ively taxed» while mneh of tlie rich man'a goode are und4r»vaiued for or entirely ewape taxaiion; ehall thorefore dcmahd tho passage of law* that will more eflfectually subject ihe property of corporaUone &ml rioii citl» rene to their jdet proportion ot puhlie

burdens, while granting more libeml exemptions to the poor; and aa a of discouraging the locking up of largf ttaetS of uncultivated landn, a differen- • tial tax should be levied in addition to the usual asHesgmenf on yaltuition.which phou!d bc in proportioii to the fertiljt}* of the soil. We ehall aleo favot the establishment of a jjrraduated ineome-tax. and thus expect to obtain ample fundfr for cpndueting the government and attending t» all neeessarv publtc improve-, ments without any further calls on the masses. MON OPOLIEB 5. We shall use our efforts to obtain laws by whieh nli favoritism in the gOvernment.and all monepoliee, trusts and pri\ileges to special claeses ?hall -be rendered impossible, by full, defimtcand mandatory statutes. 6. Better laws should regulAte the Oii vil Service. The principle of the eleei tion of ofiicere of the governmeot bv l the people should be eatablished, and no l man be allowed to hold 'morf than"one office of profit, whitet salaries should be adaquate c3mpienBation for the sarvices rendered. All excessive salaries should be roduced and all sinecures or superfluous offices abolished. PROTECTĪON TO HOME INDUBTRIES 7. We are in' favor of encouraging all home agnculture and industries, andali our native products, like rice, coffee t wool, tobacco. etc. should be protected and iostered by proper tariff regulation; and alao it must be the duty of the Govment, in its contracts and other operations, to give preference to national products over imDoyted ones. PTJBLIC SERVANTS. LOOAL SELF-GOYERNMENT j 8. We desire a more liberal p©licy toI wards the different Islands of the KingI dom, outside of Oahu; thev should rej ceive a fairer proportion df the puhlie | moneys for the devtlopment of their rej sonrces and tne satisfactirn of theii j wants. In fact, tbe principle of loeal i Self-government ehould ba extended T [ wherebv giving localities may ehooee the I most important of their loeal executive i officers, and levy taxes for the purpose 1 eal iraprovements of a puhlie nature. PROTECTION TOTHE LABOURING I CLASSES ! 9. ■We shall endorse all mcaj?ure | tending to improve the condition of the Xv*orking classes, and c.onsequently, with--out injuring anv vested rights, we wfl 1 advocate laws to prevēnt all further importation or employu>ent of contractlabor oi anj r kmd, upon conditions %vhich will bring it into a ruin»us and degrading jeompetitipn with free Hawai ian or white labor. We shall also, m tlie interest of tlie better protecti«tfr oi the poor, ask for moreiiberal exemjstions of their propertsrfrom forced sale on execution, aud from seizure in bankruptcy proceedin«s.

SMALL FARMING AND HŌME STEADS. ; # 10. The wealt)iy fraction o£ our population have hitberto prevented the deveiopment o£an independent elass ol citizens; the poblic lands have been acquired and liave been tied up in a few hande or parcelled to suit favorites, »nd small farmers and planters have l>een driven out by «>r}>orations or combinations capitaliste: but as small farmii»g is eonducive to the stability of the State, it should pe encourfcged bv a new and more liberal lJ|om@kead aet, by wheh the ownerghip' ol smaQ trBcts o£ land and the settlement thēfeon of &milies of our present population,—and eapeeiali ly of the native Hawaiians who have been left almost homelesB in there eoun-try.-should be rendered po6S.lde. To thatend, the Oovernment and Crown lande. (in fav as ean be donfi without invadtng vested rights ) should be devotedaeaoon ae possibie to homeeteads. and conlerred upon bona-fide settters free of taxe& for a limited period. It ehoukl be the further aim of government to, at onee, 90 far improve the means of transport» tion, —loeai, national and international, —as to provīde, In all the dietricte, eheap meane of conveying the product of the soil to market. FJLECTORAL RIHGT. 11. We hold that upright and hcmest manhood. and not the ooeeeeaion of wealth, arbitrarily fixed, should the right to vote lor nobteq aewellas repreeentativfcB, and bo more pow dwmld be accorde4 to the ballot ol the rich m%n than to the balk>t of the poonnan. The dieorkai«*tion in fevor of weahh now made in 0«r Oonstitutkm ed. To this end, we will favir a leveling (rfthepresent diedarlkm ol w««hh aad classes whieh blemieh our lawß with respect of the right to vote for noWea, therebv restering to the nativ* HawaiMuns rtrivileges whieh pemin to h»»» thē»r o«-n countrv, and of whieh th©y havo been oniuBtlv deprived. IN*TERNAL IMPROVEMENTS 12 We favcvr tlie oxpenditure of eiem wima to *vure a number of needed publk improvementB o&Oahu and other IhUiu)*: ?chool, nu)roatdii and harbors ukl wharvee, publio li#ht, and ateo a thorough ol wwwiw aad water-work*, not oaly tor Ho&oiulu> biU thmigh-<»ut the other l^an^e.