The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-05-25
FRIDAY, MAY %. 1884.
CONSTITUTION OF NEW YORK


tioual convention in session at this
writing in Albany. the political capi-
tai. Some facts concerning the fun
damental law Of the Empire State
will prove interesting, especially in
view OF the approaching submission
Of new constitution for the Ha
waiian Islands To a convention, 10y
the oligarchy that has ruled this
country by force for the past sixteen
months. Only once in twenty years
can the organic law of New York
State be changed. aud even then the
people must have ordered the con.
vention To meet. The original con
titution of Iii had no provision
for its own amendment, but 10y gen.
eral consent it was amended IN lSOl
by giving the governor greater
powers. In lS2O it was enacted that
every twenty wears the voters might
order q convention il they chose.
Before that time the people had not
been trusted to vote upon the 0r-
gauic law. This fact is commended
tU the Hawaiian people. who hav"
had dinued iutu their ears 10. these
many years-that American imstitu
tiuns are synonymous with the great
est possible degree of popular con.
troll and freedom. II j. not by way
Of disparaging American institutions
that this faIlary il here exposed. but
simply to rid our p.upl.'s minds ~
the effect. Of rlap-trap fung at hem
IL cause discomfort with their former
comparatively happy estate. An
ounce f facts is better than \ ton
uf ianciful description for th. stud,
III a ruun,ry's government. II il
not invidious. therefore. To- base un
such fact a. the foregoing that
uf TIA. practical exclusion II the.
people Uf the leading state in the
MON from the dictatiun II it, or
gauic law up To 1870 the prupusi
tIuu that. ia one Of the uuIninallv
fr-.st coinnuuwealths uf th. world.
government right down To- its basis
is largely u cuug.ri.s " rumprn
misses.
At first ia. Legislative branch il
New York was supreme. but ils pow
"r has been gradually taken away
aud given To the governor aud the
Judiciary. until now the Judiciary -
supreme. From such facts a. these
proving constant pr,r"-- Uf charge.
II will dawn upon the minds of "ur
uus"phisticaled p."pl. that. in spite
"G the seductive promises uf 'p"arr
like a river made To- them by ID"
ups-ttcrs Of ia. former csi abli.h-d
order, the bes, new constitution
that can be given Hawaii will uniN
DE u starting p"iut for fresh disrun
t-nrs aud new struggles for poliri.
cal bliss that human government
la. never yet yielded. Not Ia IN.
duigr IN prophecy. which j. -ald to-
br dangerous. the opinion may BE-
Nemturrd that surprising rpub
lie be -,rabii,in.i ia Hawaii with ur
Without the protection uf the nil
rd States wllhIu few muuih-
thereafter mauy p'npl" who piung
eel into revolution for -urcrase from
-Aa-pera'ing aud irrcr"nrilshl" poll
iiral strife viii b.. ready Ia confess
that Tia" old system was capable II
gIviug more stable and less friction
al government than he new.
From All account of tn. New Work.
convention IN advance il is learned
that the principal question. 10 come
before it are uniform charters for all
the thirty four cities in the state.
graded into three classes; the refer
rndum ~ the initial step t. all l-gi-
lati"n, the legaliIiug uf the bny"uu
h"me rule for cities, prohibition ui
the gerrymand-r, an educational
qualification for the suffrage. thr
separation Of local and munici.
pal elections from general el"rtinm-,
and woman suffrage, the adv~a,".
Of which have b"en very active for
several months Thi. is furmria
bic enough array ~ raw questions
10 be- settled of, handedIy. some il
not all of which should b- l-ft to
the tentative processes ~ statute
law, 50 IA Ia make false steps easily
rrtrared, Som" 81 the State, are
riveting bands Of iron about their
peoples uecks, through their fIirh
ike reverence for the value of con
otitutlonal law. They forget that
the times chang" aud people change
with them, or they would never. h>
the fugitive power Of a scratch
majority. put debat able question. Of
government bryoud the sphere Of
debate for twenty years, or longer