The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-01-20

The very person who penned the above draws
his salary contributed in part by those whom
he stiSmatizes - common l~Oa!ers. Take many
Of the Government officers, deprive them Of their
salaries, and we ask if they would not be
classed as e common l~oafers." Foreigners have
more tact in keeping up appearances than ma
tives, We all know. They can make q show of
a large income, when in reality they would be
bankrupt, if, like the kanakas whom they curse
because they are poor, they had to pay as they
90. We don't wish to be personal, but we
might single out instances of public officers.
who. if deprived Of Government pay, would
not be able 10 settle their honest debts. and
who appear to have been placed in Office osten-
sIoiy 10 obtain the means of squaring accounts
with their creditors. Now, some may say this
is all very well but is it right for a kanaka
to be called q poor man and = common ~loafer,''
and therefore deprived Of his vote, when If be
We're q white man he would fare very differ
emily?
Some may think we are unfair. But we are
contending for the aborigines Of Hawaii, for
their Improvement politically and socially. Now
let Us look at the facts. We are a nation COM
posed mostly Of Hawaiiaus, our King a Hawai-
ian. and the government n0minally the same.
Nine-tenths Of the natives are poor, but, for all
that, are kind-hearted toward the foreigner. \
few possess property, and the majority are in
their way industrious and contented. Under
the old Constitution all We're invited to share in
the making Of the laws, which tended 10 make
them of an inquiring mind, and all enjoyed the
privilege of voting, which created in them an
interest IN the government and in the making
OF the laws. There may have been illegal
voting, but if so, it was not so much the fault
Of the voters as of the officers having charge Of
the voting, or perhaps of the law itself. Even
if there was illegal voting, the effect of it was
OF no great consequence, except as it may have
helped TO defeat the election of the Attorney
General in one or two elections. Here was
really the cause that led to the abrosation of
the old Constitution, because of the defeat of this
and other government candidates. The voters
declined TO return ministerial candidates, there
fore they must be deprived of the privilege of
voting, because they are - common l~oafers'' and
- a rabble." No sooner said than done, and the
present Constitution, in which the people have
had no hand or voice. was the result.
All this was done by men who were drawing
four thousand q year, contributed by those they
choose TO call &" common ~loafers'' whom they
see fit still to tax while they rob them Of their
suffrage. While they tax four thousand Of
s. the rabble'' in Honolulu, two hundred or 50
are allowed TO come to the polls. True a few
more than that number, it is said, mag come,
if they choose, but can't be induced. Through
out the kingdom there are 1871 men taxed,
and Of these perhaps one thousand or fifteen
hundred voted at the late election. The majority
are :. common ~loafers," according to the above
Now we ask. in the light of common
sense, reason and justice, is it right, is it honor
able for foreigners TO do or even cOuntenance
this, in Il country where the aborigines consti-
the rulers and the masses, and foreigners
hold Office only by courtesy? Is it right to
these poor and simple natives, Cor three
'ourths of them at least) of the right of saying
who shall make their laws and who shall tax
hem Is itnot rather q gross shame and out
that men can be found to advocate placing
hem on the level Of the slave, and tax them
leavily, while they are drawing liberal salaries
rom these same persons whom they stigmatize
Is . common l~oafers'' and . the rabble''?
If there is among the Ministers one philan-
hropist who dares to stand up for the right,
ne noble soul who feels for Hawaii and IIa-
vaiians, let him come forward and propose a
lew Constitution and new laws which shall
lace the intelligent poor but honest native on
he level with the richest white man. and not
Oh the Hawaiian on he's o,Cn soil of his right
0 vote because he is a poor man. Let Us have
new Constitution, which shall say to every
IAN, " come share in making the laws by which
on are taxed, and enjoy the freedom which
ioD and KAWEuAMEIA have decreed is yours by
Then, and not till then, will Hawaii
ise from the dust in which she now lies weep
1g, and waiting to be comforted.
NOTES OF THE WEEK.