The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1889-09-24
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.

ED1ToR BULLETIN Please allow
me few words upon the above i'm
portant topic. The wisdom of any !
attempt on the part of the members |
of our present legislature to amend
our Constitution may be questioned,
as they were elected to enforce, not
TO change the Constitution. l well
remember that during the election
campaign in this district the oppo-
nent of our present representative
promised that if the electors would
send him to parliament he would
propose and endeavor to pass three
amendments-wh he named-to
our Constitution, and the people an
swered him by voice and vote, 1--WE
don't want any change in our Con-
stitution; we want it enforced as it
u.s." and they elected our present re-
preventative by large majority.
| believe that was the prevailing
sentiment among the people.
The Constitution was new, untried
and had been obtained at consider
able risk. The King, Cabinet, and
all Government officials and voters
were required to stand firmly by the
| Constitution as it then existed and
have it enforced. The Legislature
was elected for that purpose. If af-
ter fair trial it proved defective,
then it would be time enough to
amend. Two years certainly is but
a short time to test the virtues OF a
fundamental law, and its amend
ment will come with much better
grace from our next legislature.
Fears have been expressed that a
future legislature may not pass the
amendment. In that case certainly
no previous one should have passed
it. No one doubts that the future
may disclose defects that must be
amended, but the only amendment
that this legislature can consistently
agitate would be the restoration of
those sections of our Constitution
that have been set aside by judicial
Interpretation since their election.
If constitutional amendment is re-
CURED it should be more sweeping
against contract laborers leaving the
plantations, than the one debated by
our last legislature. No doubt 8
constitutional amendment will soor
be demanded against the japanese,
Portuguese and perhaps others
Rumblings are in the air, and tc
avoid another agitation the whole
thing had better be included in the
one amendment In the absence OF
debate, or time to think, we believe
the following as an amendment
would cover the whole ground, viz.
"All laws shall be Constitutions
that are confined to any individual
class or classes of people who's
presence here is known to be in
furious to the prosperity and we'll
being of our enfranchised citizens
A statute made in pursuance O
the above permit could no doubt b
framed to cover the whole 2rount
and effect the object to q create
extent than the limited amendmen
proposed last session. We thinl
the whole people who may inhabi
these Islands a generation or 81
hence under the existing regime o
. schools and politics, will be more in
telligent as people, and bette
learned in labor, law and govern
ment, consequently better qualifie
: to decide about their own wants
}, than we can decide for them now
e and it seems but just that an intel
y ligent people, living under the forl
y of a republican government, al
S though lingering on the ragged edg
J. of civilization, should have right s
e all times, through their represent
" atives, to make all needful laws fe
q the suppression of crime and th
causes of crime and to promote tn
> general welfare of the people.
|, JNo. M. HoRNER.