The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-11-26
T H r.
FRIDAY : /:
November 26th
POLITICAL COMPARISONS.

Our evening contemporary had an ar
ticle on Liberty in it's issue of the 23d
instant, which instituted comparison
between Bulgaria and Hawaii, to the
disparagement of the latter We are un-
able to come to the same conclusion as
the Bulletin" for the reason that con-
temporary writers present a picture of
the Bulgarian people by no means fat
tering either to their Intelligence, civil
cation or patriotism. That they will be
disciplined by fire, and whipped into the
stream of advancing civilization is I'M
doubted; but at the present time the
Bulgars do not comprehend the political
significance of the word elderly" half so
fully as the native Hawaiian people.
And it would be very strange indeed ii
they did, considering the influences sur
rounding the two nations in the last
sixty years.
That the native Hawaiians are not so
advanced politically as are the citizens
of Massachusetts is undoubted but
recent experience should convince the
promising scholars. Have they not
adopted the caucus, and do they not
understand it's use as fully and well as
any American politician? If the late
Opposition is to be believed, the Hawa-
iians are almost abreast of the
"Sachems'' of Tammany Hall, or the
Bosses of Brooklyn, Philadelphia, or
San Francisco. According to the Oppo-
sition, faithless at the last, Hawaii
ans have learned to "stuf the ballot
box" personate, "colonize," intimidate
and bride at elections. Indeed, the OPP
position itself issued "bogus ticket" at
the last Honolulu election. GERRY
Wandering is not unknown in the Leg
islature, and "lcgrolling" is recognized
as proper parliamentary tactics on both
sides of the House. The "lobby'' is
recognized intermediary between ex-
Legislature If these are not
proofs of the advanced political educa-
ton of the Hawaiian people in Ameri-
can methods we do not know what other
proof could be furnished or asked for,
measured by the experience of general
elections in the United States.
We certainly think that the
Bulgarian peasantry and politi-
clans have great deal to
learn before they can be compared
with the Hawaiian nation in any of
these respects. Whether the evolution
of politics in this Kingdom and the Bull
garian principality is running on parallel
lines with political evolution in the
United States is another question. In
the latter, the individual is sovereign :;
in the two former, the State is paramount
to the individual. The political institu-
tions are different The genius of Ameri-
can institutions is to broaden and
deepen the basis of popular control,
put when this principle is sought
to be imposed upon autocratic
or monarchial institutions friction
is created, resulting in revolution and
foreign Intervention as in the case of
Bulgaria, or in reactionary movement
as in the case of Hawaii. What may be
a very admirable form of government
for one country and condition of civiliza-
ton might be a very bad form of
government for another country under
different conditions as to civilization and
race tendencies.
1t is not well, therefore, to generalize,
as our friend of the Bulletin" does, in
regard to the DRIFT OF politics in these
Islands, Bulgaria and the United States.
One can hardly expect that as much
may be accomplished in sixty years in
this country as was accomplished in the
thousands of years that preceded the
dawn of modern civilization in other ad-
vanced nations of the world, and it
should be remembered that despite the
carts of politicians the American sys-
tenn is the perfection of human govern
ment. Granted, however, all that has
been said about the faults, follies and
vices of the Hawaiians, it must
be admitted that under proper
guidance and influences they are as
race capable of high attainments. But
too much has been expected from them.
The transition from darkness to light was
too sudden. The forcing and examining
process alone was adopted. Breathing
time was not allowed them. They were