The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-02-10
THE INDEPENDENTS.
Their Original Position Fully
Justified by the Result of
the EIection-A Lesson
in Politics.

The protest of portion of the Re-
form voters against the surrender OF
their party to the smaller of the two |
factions, into which the former Ma
tional Reform party had split, has |
been declared by the ADVERTISER to |
be perfectly natural and reasonable, |
and no more than might have been |
expected under the circumstances. |
The language used editOrially regard
ing the humiliation involved, and the
shameful spectacle resulting from the
arrangement, was quite as vigorous
and picturesque as anything that has
fallen from the tongue or pen Of the
most radical and uncOmpromislng In
dependent. Since the election Mr.
Thurston has published letter
severely overhauling the Bulletin for
its rancOrOus and impOlitic treatment
of the Independents, and at the same
time frankly admitting the purity of
| the motives which actuated the latter.
| The ADVERTISER having justified the
| sentiments and feelings, and Mr..
| ThurstOn having Vindicated the mo-
tives of the Independents, nothing
more need be said upon either of these
| heads.
But in the field of practical politics
something more has to be considered
| than motives, however pure, or Sentl-
| mentS however reasonable and just.
The object of political action is not
primarily or mainly the expression of
opinions or the prOmulgation of senti-
ments, but the production of prac-
teal results. The immediate aim is
generally to get votes, sometimes to
show how votes can or might be got.
The action of the Independents was
based, not only upon disgust at the
personal and political character of the
ticket they were asked, and in some
instances virtually ordered to vote
for, disapproval of the undetermined
and treacherous way in which the
arrangement seemed to have been
made, or Indignation at the GOODNESS
with which the whole Reform organ
ization had been ignored, and the
utter contempt shown for the opinions
and feelings of the men who cOnsti-
tuted the backbone of the party.
They felt that only the direst neces-
sity could Justify the deal that had
been made, and were satisfied from a
study of the situation and of all the
available data bearing thereon that
no such necessity existed. Such
being the case the action which had
been taken by the "leaders' was CON
sidered either foolish, or wicked, OF
both.
In Il review of Mr.. Thurston's letter
published several weeks ago, this
point was argued somewhat fully, and
it was shown from an analysis of the
vote of two years ago, and careful
estimate of the probable changes since
that time, that the Reform party
with a clean, straight ticket, had fal
more than an even chance of success
The proposition was simply this
That unless the surrender to the Me
chanics' Union was an imperative
necessity, it could be neither prOpe
nor right, and that no such necessity
could be made to appear. 1t was ;
clean, clear case of "give away" will
nothing in return. The moral iustifi
cation of the Independent movement
is complete. It's political justification
lies in the fact that the returns from
the election just held not only con
firm, but emphasize the conclusion
drawn from the returns OF 1890. IL
both cases the figures used are 70
Honolulu only, but as this distric
contains considerably more than nine
tenths of all the Noble voters on TIL
island, the conclusions drawn are no
invalidated by the omission of TIL
outer districts.
It was shown in the reply to Mr.
Thurston's letter, already alluded tC
that, in the election of 1890, the NObl
candidates on the Reform ticket re
ceived an average of 741 votes, an
those on the National ticket an aver
age of $50, the average majority of tn
latter being 119. 1t was also show
that the majority of the highest can
didate on the National side over til
highest on the Reform side was II:
and that the majority of the loves
over the lowest was precisely tn
E same. Having given these figures, tn
article in question proceeded as fol
lows:
"a brief calculation shows that
change of only 90 votes from one sid
to the other in a total of some 160(
would, if distributed evenly all alOn
the line, have rendered the two ticket
even. Surely this cannot be considere
q bad beat, or one to discourage futur
effort. 1t is, I think, the generg
opinion of those who, by virtue {
years and political experience, bot
). here and in larger fields, are as we
! qualified to judge of such matters a
Mr.. ThurstOn, that with proper man
' agement, more than that number {
= votes could have been saved from tn
enemy. With proper preliminar
educational work, which was almOs
! entirely neglected, and somewha
! wiser conduct of the campaign whe
actually entered upon, it is at leas
probable that the whole Noble ticke
for this island could have been elected
The election of even half of ther
would have given us clear majOrit
in the Legislature, secured our chOiC
of President and Committees, an
e carried the ThurstOn Ministry triun
). phantly through the session.
After stating some of the disadvan
tages under which the Reform caus
labored at that time, Mr.. Thurston'
reviewer went on to develop his argu
ment in words, which for want O
space can only be quoted in part.
"What is the situation to-day? TIL
united, triumphant, eXultant hos
that organized the Legislature of 1896
and Clicked out" to use their Ow,
classical language, "the rottenest ad
ministration that ever cursed tn
; country is now hopelessly divided
Their leaders never had any particula
principles, or much in common, be
yond hatred of the Reform govern
ment and thirst for spOils. On variou