Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-03-24
- SATURDAY PRESS
SATURDAY.. MARCH -. ,ss,.
~ oE coNcRRyHn AcyYoN

That an evil state of Affairs /, rife in the gov
eminent ut this land, Is conceded by all think
iue men oC ihi, community, not excepting go,
eminent official, themselves whether of purely
native or of foreign stock; but exactly how to
bcs, remedy the existing state Of Affairs Is
matter upon which less unanmity of thought
and feeling exists, The mixed character of our
population. and tho varied interests at stake,
arc matters which cannot bc well ignored in
the contemplation Of any scheme ol reform.
and II /, only this want OF union and cohcrency
which makes the present state Of affairs a pos.
Sihihty. Politics, rs existent here, are divided
among many schools, each OF which is specially
anxious that reform should he inspired by the
same spirit that inspires itself and subordina
| ted. il possible. To the formula it would PIE.
scribe Cognisant. however, OF the urgent ne.
eeSsity OF some sort OF rciormatoy action, as
we'll as the existing state of inharmony as to
the maiiH OF managing details, each seems
willing To relax somewhat of the more stringent
principles of its adopted creed; in order to
secure the better protection of certain interests
which are recognized as common to all, and
without which eventual chaos seems to be the
only apparent outlook. Under such oircum.
OF each particular sect OF school Of politics
should arrange system by which a proper in
tctchanpc OF views could he had, in order to
concert plan Of operations which would he
with it the weight and consequence which ev.
erywhcre attaches to proper organization. Ours
is the case Of the traditional "bundle OF sticks. y
We need tying up to become strong Were it
otherwise it would have been impossible that
misrule should have acquired such an ascend.
eney as it possesses to-day. Now it is appar-
emily able to dictate its own terms; and, judg-
ing from what has gone before, is likely to be
allowed to exc out an existence until its own
inherent defects shall naturally cause its decline.
Let us hope, however, that the past shall be nc
criterion of the future, and that definite action
OF some sort may follow upon the universally
expressed recognition of existing abuse.
We have before suggested, in brief, method
Of inducing reform, which TO our minds pre-
sents the advantage of possessing the least ten
dency to disturb the leading interests of tn,
place; and the views we have uttered so IA
as we have been able to learn, seem to be sucl
as are favorably entertained by large majority
Of the people everywhere. Among a certain
class, however, not numerous but still too larg,
for so intelligent community, the idea still
seems to prevail tina, nothing more is necessary
than change of Ministry. They say Civ
US good Ministry and the country will be al
right" To these We say that the expedient o
changing ministries has been resorte,
! to before, and much too frequently; and it i
this very possibility we would seek to avoid b,
J., the enactment Of such measures as would en-
sure the permanence of cabinets by making
; impossible that other than capable, educated
/ and honest men, should hold office, and i'm
possible that such men should be remove,
at the mere caprice of the ruler. 1t is yer
mach to be doubted whether, at the presen
r time, Cabinet OF men who would be entitle,
; 10 the respec, and confidence of the communit
! could be induced to accept office without som
tangible guarantee that their tenure Of ofhc
would be something more stable than il subjec
TO the mere will of pretentious ruler, who ha
, been so far msled by vanity as to suppose, ap
= parently, that Cabinets have but one Office tt
. perform, and that that office should conss
in serving him alone. l, is true that the Con
5 stitution says; "The Kings Ministers are re
sponsible." Theoretically, pethaps they are
but actually, whenever this feeling of response
c bility is manifested by them in opposition t
! some personal wish Of the man who appoint
: them, their office and responsibility cease to
gether. And this state Of affairs has been tn,
secret Of dismissal of Cabinets under the reigr
) OF Kalakaua. Some persons are charitable
enough to suppose that the King has been tn,
innocent victim Of plausible and designin,
e men, like Gibson and Moreno. To such
! OF course, our opinions in regard to the need o
? reform and its nature seem extreme. For,u
nately, however, such people are the exception
/ and not the rule. II now remains to be seei
whether the majority Of our citizens, native an,
b foreign, may be led TO act together for the com
, , mon good