The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-01-07
THE DAILY
TUESDAY,,
JAN. Z, 1890.
THAT TICKET AND PLATFORM AGAIN

The political situation Is certainly
queer. A party in professed hostility to
the Government has solemniy met and
in an elaborate and carefully written
platform, affirmed and pledged them
selves to the support OF almost every |
principle which distinguishes the very |
Government to which they are SO bitterly |
opposed. This is accompanied by an
express reputation Of all their various
platforms, declarations and principles.
This reputation they call Dy a fine
name, it is true. Evolution" is their
word. If this is a case of evolution, it is
one that would make Prof. Huxley stare,
and Darwin, If he had lived to see it would
have been overwhelmed at his own
moderation in giving monkey SO many
thousand years to turn into a man. They
do these things much quicker on Fort
street. Doubtless the warm climate has
something to do with it. The metamor-
phosis to which has turned the foolish
document so pompously Illuminated by
| the Union few weeks ago into the rea-
| sonable instrument it now seems In
! general to be, would make capital cut
for comic paper if it could only be
| drawn.
The National Reform party is the name
by which the Mechanics Union and Hui
Kalaiaina, that curious mixture have
agreed to call themselves. 1t is only in
order that having stolen the principles,
they should proceed to appropriate the
name of the party which they are at
lacking. There is good deal of "cold
nerve'' about the whole performance,
but no one need be disturbed by it. 1t
is the highest tribute which could pos
sibly be paid to the record and achieve
ments of the real National Reform Party
that its enemies think they have no hope
of victory unless they march to battle
under its banner, shouting its watch,
word, protesting it's most important
principles, bearing its name. Henry
Ward Beecher said once that, hypocrisy
is the tribute which vice pays to virtue.
No one cares to counterfeit the
base metals. We hope that the new
standard bearers of reform are moi
counterfeiters, but imitators merely
Either is somewhat inglOriOus role
but here there is no other alternative
No great originality is possible (the
changes which have been made in the
ministerial programme are anything bu
ling to initiate a good example when Sc
by person one dislikes, is manly
thing. 1t is not everyone who will lister
to good advice if the devil gives it
refusing, his daughter was running
away. The comparison with the devi
is particularly appropriate, because t.
the head Of the new ticket doubtless one
of the Ministers, at least, seems little
better than the arch fend in person.
On the whole we are by no means dis
posed to sneer at the Mechanics Unlor
for adopting SO many Of the principles
, of the Government We think it t.
their credit. But to some of their can
didates the selection must be exceeding
ly embarrassing. John E. Bush viii
have to teach his barrel organ anothe
tune, if the poor, cracked old instrument
is capable of it. The Elele will have tt
be solemnly repudiated, and Rober
: Wilcox will have to prove that hi
climbed the Palace wall last July not fo
the reasons which he has lately set forth
in Court but to abolish the veto alto
gether, to whip, as it were, the lazy con
stitutional nag of the country into {
galop.