The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-03-06

ably known, or known as political |
opponents. Several Of the most
popular and prominent among them
were men high in Office under the
old government, who had originally
been opposed to the Reform move
ment and had always remained SO. !
To the eyes Of the outsider the whole |
combination looked like a union Of
extreme opposites-
Such then was the character OF
the party which came forward as a
candidate for power-asking the
people to entrust to its leaders the
control Of affairs
Each party framed the platforms
which its situation rendered neces-
sary. For the National Reform
party to publish short instrument,
combining itself to general and vague
declarations of policy, would have
been absurd. 1t would have been
abandoning all pretence that the
party existed for the sake Of any
principles It would have been an
open confession-"We are here for
the Offices"
The author of the platform 1--WE
say the author, for there is no evl-
dence that the platform was the
cohesive principles of party evil
IDENTIFY saw all this very clearly. He
perceived the necessity of very full
and explicit declaration of princi-
pies, and of principles which as far
as possible should contain nothing
to shock the enlightened sentiment
of the country. The result was
platform specific and definite to the
last degree On every point where it
dared to be.
The situation of the Reform
party was totally different. 1t had
a full record on every question
touched upon in its platform. 1t
was perfectly possible to adopt a
short comprehensive platform refer
ring generally to the leading points
in its policy, and reafirming them.
Such a platform is of course TO be
read in connection with the previ-
GUS history, Of the party, with its
Legislative and administrative acts,
and recorded utterances. In this
case for instance it must be read in
connection with the ministerial reply
to the inquiries from Hilo. Under
the circumstances more specific
utterances in the Reform platform
were utterly superfuous. Putting
them in or leaving them out was
mere matter of taste. These are
points clear to anyone with very
moderate allowance of common
sense.
Upon this state of facts, which is
the suspicious circumstance, the sill
ence of the Reform party's platform,
or the silence of its enemies? Pro
baby no one with normal pulse
and sound faculties, would really
pretend that there is anything really
suspicious about the platform of the
Reform party on this point, so that
we may give our undivided attention
to the other And here the case lies
in nutshell. If the platform of the
National Reform party had contained
declaration against the segregation
of lepers, the respectable wing of the
party would have abandoned it and
the organization would have been
broken up. It is safe to assume, we
hope, that Mr.. Widemann and those
whom he represents. MIR. D. Logan,
and others, would have declined to
run. On the other hand, the party
relied for its success in the solid ma
tive vote. It did not rely on the ex-
cellence of its platform. It did not
rely on any zeal for national Reform.
It relied Oh nothing in the world but
the solid native vote. Without that
vote, as every one knows, the party
would not have had a ghost of a
chance. Now, if the platform had
contained a strong declaration in
favor of the segregation of lepers,
and had pledged the party to carry
ing out such policy the solid native
vote would have been gone, and with
it all chance of National Reform
success. The insertion of plank
on the segregation of lepers would
have furnished the strongest guar
antee of the good faith Of the party,
but they would not and could not,
and dared not give it. Freedom for
the lepers was the sap which it was
necessary to give to the natives, and
it was given, although the Bulletin,
which was asleep during the cam
paign, asleep-brain, heart, con-
science and all, processes not to have
known it.