The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-01-08
Those Reform Ward Meetings.

Those Reform Ward Meetings.
Mr.. EDITOR: The politicians, political
writer's and correspondents OF the opposi-
ton and Eleele type, seem very much
worked up over the "close cooperation"
manner in which the District meetings
OF the Reform party are being carried on.
Naturally one would not suppose that
anything in opposition to their ideas or
with a possibility of removing their
chances Of success, would be favorably
received by the opposition; but when it
comes down to the point as to how the
political affairs of either the Reform
party or opposition are worked, do not
see that the latter are at all behind the
times in their manner of close co-opera.
ton cut-and-dried manner OF carrying
out their fight. At the meeting at which
the Mechanics Union adopted their
"Dan. Lyonistic" platform, there were
only thirty-four actual members of the
Union present, and on account of the
manner in which the platform was rail-
roaded through (and We have seen since
the effect OF such ill-advised haste) they
lost more than one staunch supporter.
Now, these thirty-four members were
supposed to represent the voice and
sentiment OF their supposed 800 men,
bers, I'VE shall soon see how they did
not and, low, and behold, when their
committee on nominations, comprising a
little less than half the number present,
attempted to secure names for nominees,
they were sat upon, and found out that
no man would stand any chance at the
polls on their adopted platform, and now
comes the great "cat jump" Instead of
the people debating to their representa-
tives what their platform should be, the
candidates make their own platform and
present it to the "Union." Oh, gullible
workingman! Oh, sample of free and
independent being! See how you were
led into the trap. These fifteen committee
men, in spite of your adopted platform
deliberately produce the candidates plat
form, the ideas of which are taken from
the ministerial platform previously is
sued, and which they claim to be agin.
Whence their authority? No meetings
were called, at which the non-success OF
securing candidates on that platform
was reported, but we suddenly find one
fine evening after our usual business was
transacted, that the committee these pa
triots and friends Of the abused me-
chanics and down-trodden Hawaiian,
suddenly appear before the Union and
quietly spring this new platform on
them which is swallowed as easily as
the other one by the fifty-six members
present, not before. however, some Ha-
waiian makes an objection which is
silenced. This poor down-trodden Ha.
waiian was the only man present who
objected to the cut and dried manner
evinced. Nothing is said about that old
platform, SO we are lead to believe that
the Mechanics Union has one platform
and its candidates for the purpose Of
getting in another. Now if these are no,
samples of machine politics, worthy Of
the supposed style of the Reform party
1 want to know it. The Reform party
may have Boulangers on it's side, but
when"keen Observer''in the Elele picks
on those whose integrity, honesty Of
purpose and standing in the commun
ity can compare favorably with any o.
the Opposition, one is led to look into
the characteristics OF some of the promi
minent oppositionists. For example
The unsuccessful attempt at an honest
Auditor General of the old regime, g
cranky ebulitlon of father-in-law
brother and brother-in-law family com
pact, anxious to get in anyhow to fight
the battles Of such family compact, anG
also to resign when honesty wins the
day; an eloquent" palace wall, emf
grant vessel, jobbery fenian; remnant
of the old unadvertised-for tenders, job
berry of the old administration hank
ering after the flesh pots OF
Egypt whose family connection with
that independent Bulletin is shown
every other day, his partner who made
the $32 so spittoons for the navy (Ha
waiian). (See vouchers in Minister O
Foreign Affairs office.) The great re
formed terrible example, whose bursts O
eloquence on the Welsh goat Cor snake
in his boots) story are received with
rounds of applause, the ex-police patriot
to say nothing of the Wilcox-Bush par
of the affair. These men, assisted by
another unsuccessful attempt at a sobe
school-teaching political writer, and alst
| an unsavory Nevada political hackster
be Boulangers of the Reform party
think it is time to cry "hold, enough.
l wish knew the names of all the mem
bers of the Central Committee OF tn,
Reform party. l am thinking that /:
comparison of their names with those O
the Mechanics Union and Hui Kalaiai
ana might induce the public to feel safe
in trusting them, even though com
posed of American boys, one German
one Hawaiian, ETC., with the conduct O
the political fight than with those wh'
can manufacture platforms to order t,
suit the axes-to-grind, want-to-get-in
anyhow candidates, or of the Hui Kalai
aiana committee men, who urged Bush
and Wilcox's nomination with the threa
of causing a division if their nominee
were not agreed to. This seems to hav'
been the time when the poor, down
trodden Hawaiian held the whip hant
over his abused Mechanic brother AM
discovered that the Unions candidates
willingness to join in with his Hawaiian
| brother was from pure personal motive
and also anxiety to serve his country a.
patriot and Noble. WOoD B. CANT.