The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-06-05
APPOINTMENTS.


to abuse than the power of patron
age. When person is elected to o
seat in the Legislature, it is gener-
ally expected by large circle of his
friends and acquaintances that their
way to public emoluments is there
upon wide open. theoretically, it
does not follow that the election of q
candidate for legislative honors
means the election of his own and
his wife's relations to sundry fat
offices under government but prac-
tically such is too often the fact. In
the United States, the abuses con-
nected with appointments at the in
stance of senators and representa-
tives have become so fagrant that
the nation is becoming disgusted
with the whole programme. To
cure the evil, bill has been intro
duced in Congress by Senator
Hampton "prohibiting the interfer-
ence of Senators and Representa-
tives in appointments. The bill is
pronounced by Hayper'S Weekly, a
periodical which, by the way, is a
model of independence and out
spoken honesty in the discussion of
all national questions, to be every
timely and necessary" The same
paper proceeds to say: "lt declares
recommending or soliciting appoint
ments by any Senator or Represen-
tative to be misdemeanor punish
able by fine, and that all informa-
tion from a Senator or Representa-
tive desired by the Executive shall
be asked in writing, and the answer
in writing shall be filed in the pro-
per department or bureau. The
necessity of emancipating the ex-
ecutive officers of the government
from the annoying importantly Of
the members of Congress needs no
demonstration. Proper attention to
the business of the whole people is
prevented by the pertinacity of
members of Congress in personally
urging and re-urging at length the
appointment of some individual con-
stituent. The impertinent pressure
of members of Congress upon ex-
ecutive officers is the great pest and
nuisance of administration and it
should be peremptorily prohibited"
If the great United States Of
America have found appointments
through political and personal favor
itism an incubus upon good govern
ment too heavy to be borne any
longer, how much more should the
little Kingdom of Hawaii adopt
prompt measures to get rid of the
self-same burden. Appointments to
positions of public trust and respon-
sibility are never made when the
first symptoms of qualification for
the position are notoriously wanting,
except under pressure from either
the candidate himself or his friends,
or both. 1t is an abuse which grows
strong with age, and the sooner it is
attacked the more easily will it be
abolished. Why should the public
service be made n haven of rest for
needy political hangers on? How
ever desirous the Ministers of the
Crown may be of securing efficient
persons in all departments of the
public service, they are often handi-
capped by the importantly and even
dictation of influential friends of un-
fit candidates.
The course proposed to be taken
in the United States whereby the
supporters of candidates for office
shall be made responsible for their
- acts might be followed here with
manifest advantage. The reasons
for any appointment or removal to-
gether with all correspondence there
on might be kept on file, and he
Forthcoming in the Legislative AS
sembly at the call of any member
who might see fit to demand them.
If such were the practice, candidates
and their hackers would be careful
in making representations that
might, any day, be read out before
the public. Hawaii has prolted
much by the experience of other
countries, and this is matter so
essential to good government that
she will prove herself wise beyond
her years by taking leaf out of
Senator IIampton's bill and adding
IL to her present stock OF political
acquisitions.