The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-01-21
Change of Native Character.

$500 N"
that the Hawaiian, formerly very simple
minded, and believing, and easily guided
by foreign Intelligence, is now indifferent to
the advice of former guides, and very self
sufficient and seIf-assertive. This is true to
a great extent, and the notable change OBJ
served in native character dates from the
election of King Lunalilo. Before that time
Hawaiians recognized with traditional
reverence, the divine right of their chiefs or
Kings, and at the same time had an I'M
questioning respect for law. The new era
dawned when a plebiscitum or appeal to the
people was proclaimed in the name of the
chief Lunalilo, who came forward as a cam
didate for the Throne, and sought the suf-
frages of Hawaiian electors. These were
some of the words of this appeal -
Whereas, it is desirable that the wishes
of the Hawaiian People be consulted rs To a
successor to the Throne"
That "the Judges of the different election
districts throughout the Islands thereby APP
pealing to their ancient allegiance to the
family of the Kamehamehas) J, give no.
tice that a poll will be opened on Wednes-
day the lst day of January a. d. 1878, at
which all male subjects of the Kingdom,
may by their vote peaceably and orderly eX-
press their free choice for a King of the Fla
waiian Islands. And that the said officers
of the several election districts, do, on Il
count of the vote, make immediate certi-
fled return of the same to the Legislative
Assembly summoned to meet at Honolulu
on the Sth day of January, 1873. That If
any officer or officers shall refuse to act in
accordance herewith, or If there shall be a
vacancy in said offices in any district, the
people may choose others in their places,
who may proceed in conformity to law in
conducting the election.
The authorship of the plebiscitum is in
volved in a little obscurity but it is not
necessary to consider that point at his
time the object being now to point out
some of the parties and influences that
endorsed and carried forward his political
movement. They are set forth in the fol-
lowing call for a public meeting:
Eve, residents of Honolulu, hereby re-
the immediate assembling of the
the people together for the purpose of con-
sultation upon civil matters, and for the
further object of appointing a committee
for the due management of the the polls in
the district of Honolulu, on the occasion of
the peoples vote for a King of the Ha-
|. waiian Islands, called by His Highness
Prince William G. Lunalilo, for the first
| day of January, A. D., 1873, etc.
e. p. Adams, S. B. Dole, A. f. Judd, f..
o. Hall, J.. F. Pogue, B.. F. Dillingham;, H.
q. Parker, p. G.. Jones, jr., d.. Foster, J.. o.
| Carter, NJ. b. Beckwitn, III. VI. Whitney,
| S. G. Wilder, f. w. Gelett, j. L. Peterson,
| and many others.
Now it will be observed that the pIebis-
| cite, or plebiscitum was of a somewhat
revolutionary character, Inasmuch as the
document without any authority of law APP
pointed inspectors of an illegal election,
and recommended to the people to choose
new inspectors, if the regular officials
would not act according to their wishes.
| The Gazette, then a Government organ,
made a mild protest as follows:
| HaWdiion Gazette: ra.-Friday, Dec.
%, 1872.
" 1t is proper to make known that those
who are responsible for the Government
press do not indOrse any statements IRE
! ferring to the plebiscituml printed for
| private parties at their own expenses. e .
| The gentlemen composing the Cabinet of
| His late Majesty have not formed or ex-
pressed any opinion as to the rights Orqual-
ificatiOns of any native Ali who may as
pire to the Throne"
But the voice OF authority and law was
| not needed at that time. There was a strong
| popular feeling and movement, in which a
large number of influential foreigners who
were dissatisfied wiCh the discrimination of
the late King against them joined with the
natives. An election, pursuant to the
plebiscite was held in this city at the auc-
ton store of Mr.. F.. p, Adams, and there
| was great jubilatiOn by foreigners as well
as natives over the result-the popular cleo
ton of LunalilO. And there was much
| said in an exulting way in our public
| journals at the time about this splendid ex-
ercise of the sovereignty of the people,
| which was very widely quoted abroad. So
l 20. ,,oryy ,ralI Tho ETa u-aiin,, ,aopIa ,vapa.
patted on the back, and told that they were
| the masters of the situation. They began
to realize the power of the ballot in a way
they had not felt before. They began to
| feel that they could not only make, but un-
make kings, and set up and put down public
men-and ever since the days of the plebis-
cite, nave shown more independence and
self-sufficiency in the exercise of the
| privilege of the franchise.
OF course, there will be no complaint
against this state of things by parties whose
interests are promoted thereby. But when
the privilege of voting is likely to be used
against parties in power, then the exercise
| of the franchise is denounced as being
placed in utterly Enthusiastically hands.
We have seen a striking illustration of the
above statement in the United States. To
| III NDIOlch l1tCd-A NTH AAlC fstACL Nto . stli
when it was expected that it would always
be cast in favor of the donors, but after a
| time the cOiored electors did not vote as
was expected, and there was expressed a
great deal of disgust and regret for having
placed such power in such incompetent
hands. There is a gentleman now in this
country, who visited a Southern State in
order to influence the colored vote, and
,rI,,; - ,v.ont Eaal- on his views aud his
party, he gave vent to a good deal of dis
gust against the colOred voter in a New
York journal. Now, perhaps he and his
friends have a poor opinion "f the Hawaiian
voter for the same reas n, and console
themselves by saying mis- character is
changed which change they would allege
has been brought about by a mischievous
demagogue.
The editor of this journal was one in