The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-06-15

the result.
Attorney-General Smith reminded
the Convention that ii had rejected
Article Il, providing that the qualifi-
cations oi voters could be increased by
law. 1t was very important to be
careful in regard 10 this qua lIfication.
Delegate Carter thought this ar; icle
was the DEVILS slide of the Constitu-
ton. This country is at present going
through its reconstruction period. The
South has been kept poor by having
its power given back after the war.
The Provisional Government obtained
its power by the risk of life, and il il
the duty of this Convention to see
that nothing is done to impair that
power. Every safeguard must be
adopted. With regard TO this fran
elise, the duty was plain. In 1890 the
qualifications were so far done away
with that the party at present in pow
er met with most crushing d feat.
This Convention has tried in several
ways to tear down the safeguards set
up by those who framed the Constitu-
ton. The repeated assaults that had
been made upon those safeguards
tended TO make him fear for the con.
]
| the revolutions that have occurred in
the past. And yet If these safeguards
were torn down there was chance
/ that it would be necessary. An in-
come qualification of $500 might be
! enough, but it was better TO put it
| higher.
Minister Damon thought that if the
law was kept aud only those who had
| $500 year were allowed to vote, there
would be no danger. The cause of
annexation could not be injured by
/ anything. 1t was safe i'll the hands of
the United States. But it was not
right to say that only the limited few
could vote, as would be the case if the
income qualification was placed too
high.
Delegate Vivas was sorry to hear
some of the members try TO hedge in
the liberal ideas of government. The
people who had elected him would he
pra tically barred from voting for
their representatives. Those VINO re.
ceived only about 5000 year were
the ones who had stood closest by the
Government, and should not be pre-
vented from voting. He favored
placing the property qualification at
$500 worth of any kind OF property,
and the income at $500 ii year.
Delegate Iosepa did not see why he
should change his former opinion
that the article should be passed as in
the draft. 1t was true that few of
our supporters would not be able to
vote; but that was better than losing
the whole thing We must not place
these qualifications too low. When
we start the new government, we
must place it on a firm basis, or in the
future we will be sorry for it. We
have duty to perform, and We must
do it. We must not give our enemies
a chance.
Delegate Kahaulelio did not agree
with Delegate IOsepa. He supported
Delegate Baldwin's motion.
Delegate Robertson said that he did
not understand Delegate Carter's
views. He did not want to set up
miniature Russia here. Many of the
royalists acknowledge that the mon
archy is totally dead, and stand ready
to help us to keep good government
here. There are many of our own
party who do not earn much more
than $500 year, and they should not
be shut out.
The motion TO refer to the Legisla-
tive Committee was lost.
The motion to fix the property
qualification ds in the bill was lost.
President Dole offered an amend
ment. He favored striking out all the
words of the article as in the draft after
the words "his own right" up to and
including the words "encumbrances,"
or a in. fnpr no foil
Real property in the Republic of
the value of not less than $1,000 over |
and above all encumbrances, and |
upon which not less than ten dollars
taxes shall have been paid for the ]
year preceding the one in which such |
person offers to register; or personal
property of the value of not less than |
$4,000 over and above all encum-
brauces.n
Minister Damon did not like the |
idea of placing the proper y value !
"Over and above all encumbTances." /
Many young men, buying a home
had to borrow money To pay for it, |
and it was not right TO keep them out. |
President Dole thought it would he |
a great mistake to remove those |
words. ,iorlgaged property prac- I
tically belongs to the mOrtgagee, and I
he should have any benefits that /
might accrue from it. The man who |
owns real estate Is more likely TO be |
good citizen than he who does not.
Council or Emmeluth disagreed |
with Minister Damon. In ninety
nine cases out of one hundred a man
mortgaged his property to make more
Councillor McCandless thought the
property gualiti alton in the amend
ment should be $500, and the taxes
SIS.
Councillor Emmeluth moved to in
sert the words "the legal taxes" in
stead of the words "ten dollars"
Counsellor McCandless' mott, n car
ried.
Minister Hatch moved to insert
under Republ C" the following
words: "Of the value of not less than
$500 over and above all encum-
brances, and on which legal taxes
shall have been paid on that valuation
Tor the year next preceding the one in
which such person offers to register"
This UaS Aliuht