The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-12-06
THE PACIFIC
Commercial 96berttser.
SATURDAY. DECEMBER 6.

N SIXTY DAYS hence-On the first Monday in Feb
ruary-the elections take place throughout the
Kingdom for Representatives of the people in the
Legislature of 1874. So far, there is no note of
preparation-there have been no caucuses or
nominating conventions, and no candidates have
come forward to solicit the suffrages of the peo-
pleE One reason for this apparent apathy will
prSbabIy be found in the recent sudden change of
base of the Ministry. Four weeks ago the Cabi-
net had a declared policy before the country, to
defeat which the disorganizers and malcontents
were preparing to bring up all their forces Of
ignorance and sensatiOnalism at the polls but
the faint-hearted withdrawal of the Pearl HarbOr
scheme has left the agitatOrs without an occupa-
ton, and the Ministers without n policy. 1t
may sound strange, but nevertheless 1t is true,
that after having been ten months in Office
which they took with a flourish of . great ex-
pectations we find the Ministers on the eve of
a general election without the semblanco of n
declared national or any other policy. If how
ever they happen to have such n thing concealed
in their eminently conservative bOsOms as n deter
mined line Of policy, or important measures
which they intend to bring forward, they Ger
tainly owe it to the country as well as to them
selves, to declare it now, and-adhere to it with
out lodging. But they may perhaps have good
reasons for reticence. Their solitary attempt to
marguerite a measure of national Importance
having resulted in such q demOralizing panic and
ignominious failure, may have afforded just cause
for distressing hereafter their own convictions,
the result even of long and careful deliberatiOn,
rs to what really ought to be their policy. They
have demonstrated that as statesmen they are in
capable of leading the country, and it remains to
be seen whether they can be led by n majority of
the Legislative Assembly. We may fairly anti
cipate however that, unable themselves to origin
ate anything Of value to the country, they will
prove stumbling blocks in the pathway of pro-
gress.
But the general apathy as to the coming cleo
tons, to which we have alluded, is much to be
deprecated. Every one, be he native or foreign
born, whose home is ON these islands and whose
material interests are here, should be far from in
difEerent-should be earnestly awake to the i'm
portance of having good men elected to the I'M
portant positions of ma for the nation.
Foreigners who are domiciled and naturalized
here will be derelict in their duty and be guilty
of consummate folly if they fail to go to the
HOAlo anu NAAG 1h ~ HAAN H hS h'N
Good men are to be found who will accept the
nominations and there are a host of worthless
aspirants, whose election would be 4 public mis-
fortune, for which however, we may have to
charge our present indifference.
Although the country has no Ministerial policy
before it, yet every thinking person can compre-
bend that the coming Legislative session ought to
prove a most important one. The amendments
to the fundamental law of the land proposed by
His Majesty Immediately after his accession, and
passed at the extra session, will come up for final
action, and their discussion will call for men of
experience in legislation, of cool judgment, and
enlightened, liberal views. In accordance with
his pledge to the nation before he became Its
King, that he would restore the Constitution of
Kauikeaouli, His Majesty has done his part in
proposing these amendments it will remain for
the Legislature to complete the work of restoring
the peoples rights.
In view of the present and prospective fnan-
cial condition Of the country, the absolute neces-
sity Of q large retrenehment in government ex-
penditures will be forcibly apparent to the Legs
Iature. Our principal Industrial pursuit-the
cultivation of sugars languishing, from we'll
known causes, and through the recent vacillating
aud unstatesmanlike course Of the Ministry the
hope of relief through q treaty of reciprocity
with our best customer has been abandoned.
With the decadenee Of our collective prosperity
and the diminutiOr OF means among all classes of
the people, the revenue of the State must newt
ably fall off in proportion. With a reduced in
come, we will be compelled to reduce our apprO-
p~riations but the work of reducing the legitimate
expenditures of government requires to be done
with q careful hand. Hasty and ineonsiderate
action may result as injuriOusly as a failure to
act at all.
r-1o.,d i,nnortant Questions of sanitary re-