The Daily bulletin., 1889-12-06
A WORKlNGmAA ON THE SECOND
PLANK.

EDITOR BULLETIN by condemn
ing the sytem instead of the men,
as the dodge used TO be, our politi-
clans have taken broader view of
the principles that should govern
politics. or course the men who
uphold Il bad system Of government
must go with 1t; still, they who
profit by the present system con-
slider 1t the best, and, as the discus
sion on the second plank of the Me-
chanics' and Workingmen's plat
form seems to indicate, would insist
in upholding the division of voters
in two classes, the privileged and
the un-privileged, as the only safe
guard of our liberties and prosper
ity. 1t seems to have struck Ha-
'waiian (of the narrow-minded mis-
sionary pattern l should iudge)
that the said second plank is an in
vitation TO submit TO the rabble.
Now, for myself, I'd as lief have
the qualification Of voting for No
bles raised to $4,000 worth of pro-
perty, or $1,000 annual income.
But you know it wouldn't be just
and fair, it would shut out so much
Of the intelligence of the country,
you know; and-ahem-we don't
want to do that; we only want TO
keep out the ignorant kanaka rab-
Bile, you know; 'tisn't safe to give
them too much power, you know !;
and the $4,000 property or 5000
annual income clause is just the
thing, you know, so say the narrow
minded clique. How the large pro-
perty or annual income test is to be
a proof of higher intelligence / can
not see.
Who says and believes that the
possession of $4,000 property or
5000 annual income means higher
intelligence? (Place problem
from the integral calculus before
the large property and annual in
come men and see how many can
boast of their higher intelligence).
Now, on the same principle, will
not the higher qualification, of say
$4,000 property OF $1,000 annual
income test, be better still? Will
it not include only the more
intelligent, the men of real business
capacity, and the men who possess
the capital of the country?
Since we have only one Legislative
chamber, why have half of its
members elected by and from q GER
tain class only, and the other hall
by all the voters? If class distinc,
ton is the object, why not let the
other half be elected by and from
the poorer class alone? If better in.
telligence is the plea, do away with
the ridiculous property qualification,
and let an educational test be es-
tablished. If conservatism, will
not Noble elected by majority
of all the voters of a district better
represent the ideas of the time OF
his election, than one elected by o
certain class? And what justice
and fairness are there in a system
that deprives large majority Of
our citizens of the right to elect the
other half Of the Legislature? Per.
haps it would hurt the class ol
clique conscience a little to answer
these questions honestly.
Yet some people think that large
property holders should have specia
representation, and, as we have
seen, confound intelligence will
money. This we all know is false
light upon so good subject, for il
it not true that labor produces capi
tai? And would you, Mr.. Editor
believe that the laboring men, whit
produce capital, would do anything
to destroy that capital or the mean
of producing it? Not much.
Some one has written that IL ,00l
of our fellow citizens are "too shift
less or too ignorant to understand
an ordinary newspaper or to receiv
a gross income of $50 a month, con
sequently, could not think for them
selves nor be trusted with the liber
ties Of our country!" This charg
is gross injustice to our poore
citizens and in the face of well
known statistics on illiteracy it is
downright lie, for which the creatur
who wrote those lines should b
pitied.
There is nothing noble in the ma
who Unfortunately brands tn
common kanaka or Portuguese
laborer, that is doing all the hard wor
about the canehelds, and is rearin
a large family besides on 500
mouth, as "too shiftless!" An,
when these hardworking men (whor
he calls the rabble that must b
kept down with as little liberty a
posslble) take up their Kuokoa
Pae Alma, or Luso Hawaiiano,
con the news by lamp light, he con
siders them "too ignorant to under
stand an ordinary newspaper!
Men whose thoughts run in sue
narrow grooves should be pitied
They do not seem to understan
that the laboring men-not alway
ignorant men either-who are striy
ing for a livelihood In the lowe
walks of life, are placed there b
circumstances over which they hay
no control; and really intelliger