The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-04-16
BALLOT REFORM IN HAWAII.

measure, and the radical reform
which Is proposed to be effected
thereby, it Is little curious that the
Australian system Of secret voting
should have made it's first public APP
pearance in this country, in the cor
rupt and reactionary Legislature Of
1886, a body IN which there were
scarcely more than half a dozen
elected members whose seats were
not obtained by the most shameless
ly corrupt practices.
Judge Dole, then member for Lii
hue and koloa, rose in his place one
fine morning and blandIy asked leave
to read a bill. Leave was granted,
and Mr.. Dole proceeded to read
the Canadian Election Law, all
through, the necessary adaptations
Of course being inserted. The read
ing occupied about two hours, and
the effect upon the assembled wisdom
was somewhat as if a thundercloud
had burst over the House.
As soon as Mr.. Dole had got
through, Attorney General Dare rose
and event for" him, and was fol
lowed by others with stern denuncia-
ton and well affected indignation at
the audacity of the member, Eat this
late stage Of the session" presuming
TO take up the time Of the house, and
so on. In the midst of the melee
Messrs. Dare and AholO got into a lit
tie snarl on a point Of order, in which
the latter took offense at the "haoIe"
Minister and, apparently to get even
with him, warmly endorsed the
principle of Mr.. Dole's bill
The result Of Mr.. Aholo's unex-
pected backing was that the bill was
ordered printed, and a commission
appointed to undertake a general
revision Of the election laws of the
Kingdom, and report at a subsequent
session. On the 9th of June last,
Hon. w r. Castle reported for the
Commission, and out of this report
was evolved the present election law,
embracing, as it does, most of the
wholesome provisions of the Austria
liam, English, Canadian, Massa-
chusetts and other laws to date, with
the exception of certain clauses re-
Iating to the method of voting.
These clauses, as already remarked
in a former article, will doubtless be
incorporated before the lapse of
many years.
The objections on the score of the
illiteracy of portion of the electors
will inevitably become less valid
year by year. The mass of illiteracy
which, whether wisely or not, was let
in by the provisions of the Constitu-
tion relative to the first election, will
be growing steadily smaller. Death,
removals, and, to q certain extent,
the acquisition of the rudiments of
an education by some who did not
possess it in 1887, are causes which
will be constantly at work to reduce
the illiterate element in our voting
population. The wholesome require
ments of the Constitution in respect
to the educational qualifications of
those applying for registration as
voters hereafter, if properly enforced,
will prevent any considerable rein
forcement to our present illiterate
material.
With reference to the rising gen
Grafton, the Board of Education APP
pears to be taking the illiteracy bull
by the horns in good earnest. Educa-
tional facilities for the young are
being extended far beyond former
limits, and we believe the desire to
improve the quality of the teaching
to be no less earnest than the evil
dent determination to increase its
quantity and accessibility. Under
these conditions, the main objections
to the perfecting of our election
laws, in accordance with the most
advanced ideas which the experience
of other communities may justify,
will be surely, and not very slowly
removed.