The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-08-16

Ire WiiliH9 10 strlke dow lot,
What they have struck blow for,
5 generally something worth win
ling and preserving. We should |
be very glad to see the day when
war and violence shall be banished, |
when liberty and peace Con always
90 hand in hand, but that day has
not yet dawned. To decry this
Constitution, to decry any Consti.
tuition, because it was wrung by
force from unwilling hands, as has
become fashionable here, is TO re-
pudiate the best traditions Of the
past. 1t is base, stultifying and
unworthy.
Then again, to depreciate and
revile the present Constitution be-
cause the men who obtained it, the
means which they employed, and
the motives by which they were
actuated may not be above criti-
cism, is trivial, captious, and vain.
There never was revolution above
criticism. There never was good
cause which was not stained by
the use of more than doubtful
means, dishonored by unworthy
adherents, and brought into dis
repute by the excuses, follies and
shortcomings Of its adherents.
Doubtless if our little revolution
of 1887 had been entrusted to the
hands of its present detractors, of
its anonymous newspaper critics,
everything would have been per
fection itself. There would have
been no mistakes, no illusions, no
differences, no disappointed greed:
Harmony, innocence and holiness
would have reigned supreme.
What pity that these amiable
gentlemen and immaculate saints
and infallible political philosophers
remained modestly in the back
ground instead of pressing forward
with the offer of their services
during those memorable July days
There never was q revolution
great movement of any kind
which was not hampered and hin.
dered and handicapped by Il factious
opposition, snarling like Cur al
its heels. Our little commotior
here has been no exception to tn s
rule. We should not forget that
Lincoln was raised to the presi
Dental seat by very narrow ma
jority, and that when the American
Revolution was fought to a finish
nearly half the population of the
Colonies had no sympathy with it
The part Of the factlous opposltlor
is a very unamiable, very unen
viable role, but history generally
forgets it, or passes over 1t lightly
When the story Of our "little isle
comes to be told our best wish fol
these enemies of the revolution ant
its consequences must be that they
may find no mention in the story
The present Constitution IS The
new charter of our liberties. 1t j,
cur bill of rights. 1t did away will
a despotic Constitution, a corrup
regime. We owe to il most of tn,
splendid progress of the last tire,
years, and most of that which W.
believe is before US. We owe to i
that our present Legislature is no
u repetition Of the Legislature O
1886. Noble Widemann says trul,
that we are conducting a constitu
tional government here. The hor
Noble knows better than we ca
tell him what constitutional gov
eminent was in 1886.
We do not want a new Constitu
ton. We have very excellen
Constitution now, q much bette
one than the State of California, fo
example. 1t is not perfect, c
course. but it is good, and can b
amended in the usual course. w
| doubt if there is a single intclligen
and intellectually honest man i
| either party who believes that
Convention will give US bette
fundamental law than we now have
To leave the Constitution alon
will make for peace, stability an
prosperity. Injudicious meddlin.
with it will have an opposite effec1
Conservative men of all shades @
opinion must feel this. If the Mn
istry are so weak and foolish as t.
yield to the popular cry for a ney
Constitutions cry worked up b,