The Daily bulletin., 1893-08-14
Claims of Labor.
EDITOR BULLETIN:--


on local or general governing bodies.
The system has been bad and cor
rupt in regard to the elections which
have taken place in the past. Quail
fications and restrictions have been
of such nature that it was moral
impossibility for ordinary working
men to have any part or lot in the
matter. Only to be used as tools in
the hands Of designing capitalists
who had vested interests at stake,
and would spare neither time nor
expense to attain the objects which
they have had in view--such objects
being to hold and maintain despo-
tic influence over the working
classes, SO as to be able to keep us in
a state of perfect subjection, know
ing that therein lay the safety of
their position as unchallenged die
tators, despots and tyrannical op-
pressors. But gradually, of late
years, this state of things has been
altering. Chiefly owing to COM
pulsory education, which has been
the means of showing the working
classes our true position, and our
real requirements, we have also dis
covered that, as working men, we
play no mean and unimportant part
in establishing and maintaining the
welfare of the country, and, knowing
this, we are beginning to demand
that we shall have voice and vote
in all matters affecting our interests,
and we are clearly able to under
stand in what direction our interests
lie, and how they are affected.
The greater the development of
this knowledge, the greater will be
the demands for fairer and more
proportionate representation. We
can easily see how we have been
gulled by our so-called representa-
tives by their flowery speeches and
fine promises at the times of cleo
ton, when they have been seeking
our suffrage, but no sooner have
they been returned and got snugly
ensconced in their seats than they
have forgot that they ever made any
promises at all, and the very men
who have chiefly contributed in
sending them by doing the dirty
work for them, have been treated
with utter contempt, or as though
they had no existence at all.
Such have been our representa-
tives-or, should say, misrepresen-
tatives. And it is our intention to
have this former state of things
altered.
But the question may reasonably
be asked, how are you going to alter
it? L have said it before, and shall
say it again. BY organization! Yes!
Organization, that is the plant of
liberty, which has proved able to
grow everywhere else in the world,
SO why should it not be able to grow
in Hawaii? The BULLETIN of August
Sth had note to this effect: can
other encyclical from the Pope to
all rulers in Christendom is about to
be issued. 1t urges the rights of
labor and asserts that religion is the
only cure for socialism," This is
another authentic verdict by which
the claims of labor are endorsed,
proving the possibility for Chris
tendon to walk hand in hand will
freedom and tradesunionism.
Therefore, l cannot say it too
often, the present time calls for the
unification of labor, more than any
time before. We are now living
under preliminary form of govern
ment, which sooner or later shall
have to give way to permanent.
And either we are going to have the
old, of all parties down-trampled
Constitution restituted with perhaps
some alteration, or we are going to
have a new one issued. 1t is, in any
case, not alone our right but also
our duty to stand by and watch our
interests. So that we in the future
shall be able to send men of our
own order, in tolerable proportion,
to be our representatives both in
local and general governing bodies,
where we shall be able to get at the
root of the evils.
These men will have a practical
knowledge of our true position, and
also of our real requirements. Such
men know where the shoe pinches
on account of their practical exper.
ience, and when they expound their
views it cannot fail to have the de-
sired effect, because those who listen
to them, will know that their argu-
ments are based on stern practical
facts, and not on theory as in times
gone by.
1t will be an entirely new depart.
ure. The men will be sent by the
popular vote of the people, to carry
the pledges they have given, and the
instructions they have received, into
effect, and not to act as dummies in
their places for the purpose OF
making up~a representative gather.
ing.
Give me liberty or death! were
the words | heard a prominent
speaker say a few days ago. Yes
give me liberty. But l do moi
think that the party of the
first part is very much inclined
to do such a thing. / would sooner
believe it inclined to give me the
latter No! If we want liberty we
shall have to stand up and claim it
and if necessary force our claim
through. / think l have already
stated sufficient to cause rational
| thinking men to arrive at the con
clusion that, as workingmen, we are
far foo bouvily b,nJ;na,rn1 o,I