The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-12-26
THE DAILY
HOME RULE HERE AND ELSEWHERE.


Home rule has of late years been a
familiar term to all readers of the public
prints wherever the English language is
known. The "heme rule" movement
inaugurated by Mr.. Gladstone and others
has made the politics of the British
Islands almost revolutionary. With the
merits of the question we have nothing
now to do. The big heads of the empire
on which the sun never sets will doubt
less arrive at satisfactory solution OF
the problem in the course of time. The
question is interesting to us only in So
far as it shows some of the results of free
popular discussion. Whatever comes
out of the movement, good or bad, must
be credited to the full and exhaustive
and often acrimonious discussion to
which it's every detail has been sub
jected.
Another feature of the contest, worth
noting, is the terrible ordeal of vitupera-
ton and abuse to which the leaders on
both sides have had to submit. Public
men have certainly been handled with
more merciless abuse than they have
experienced in the discussion of any
other public question for many years. It
is really matter of wonder that English
statesmen, honored and admired by the
people heretofore, have not become dis
gusted with the wranglings of the poll
tical arena and left home rule and every
other kind of rule to adjust themselves
as best they can. The epidermis of an
English parliamentarian is evidently
composed OF very tough fibre. The COM
pensation of members of Parliament in
England is nil as regards the dross after
which other men are usually in eager
pursuit. They are supposed to take their
pay out in honor, a currency in which
the dear public often rewards them after
a curious fashion.
Public life in Great Britain is not
bed OF roses. Nor does it seem to be
place of very sweet repose in the Hawai-
ian Islands. We, too, have had our
home rule agitation. Man for man it
has been to us struggle as intensely in
teresting as it is TO the subjects of the sea
girt realm of the other hemisphere. We
are smaller in dimensions and numbers
than they, but we think great thoughts.
Our home rule was keenly debated in
the legislature and out of it years before
the grand old man" of English politics
launched his scheme. The question
with us is settled. We have secured, at
least on paper, what we proposed to our
selves as a panacea for all our political
ills--a free, Independent and representa-
tive legislative body and Ministry res
ponsible to the representatives of the
people, and not to the King. As in
England, our public men have been and
are still subjected to the fiery ordeal of
merciless criticism and reckless abuse
If certain we'll known aspirants have
their way a terrible fate awaits our
Mobiles and Representatives in 1890.
Whether they are to be beheaded, flayed
alive or denuded and consigned to the
mosquitoes does not seem to have been
definitely settled as yet. It is to be
hoped that the gentlemen in charge of
the arrangements will give their victims
some intimation of the fate in store for
them. This is a privilege not denied
even the criminal when he is turned
over to the executioner. If there is to be
a slaughter, it would be no more than
the impulses of humanity call for, that
our public men be appraised of the parti-
cular form of immolation by which their
career shall come to a close. But these
worthless whose dreams are full of poll
teal scalps hanging about their wigwams
in 1890 may wake up and find themselves
famous but disappointed on discovering
that electoral axes are sometimes forged
TO cut both ways.