The Hawaiian gazette., 1894-06-26


paying 10 10 80 per cent. per annum
interest on their mortgaged homes.
JOHN NJ. HoRNER.
Mr. EDITOR: 1t must be evident to
every fair-minded reader that the
Characterization Of some recent legis-
lation of our Councils as unfair and
slovenly, was not piece of SANDER,
| delighting in personal abuse, but of
| friendly criticism, searching the right
application of the fundamental prin-
ciples of all good government. The
| ADVERTISERS does not belong 10 that
Glass of newspapers whose chief func
ton seems to be TO psuder 10 Geprsved
tastes and prrjudiced ignorance by the
! publication OF Indecent scuTrilities or
| gIatuitUus Sbuse.
Il must be evident, also. that there
i NOSE or less miSapprehensiOu of the
| province OF all legislation, as the II
| fiueUce that cOnt.ols the aiministra-
| -On OF governmental principles and
| methods IN promoting the welfare of
the community. legislation, in this
aspect, acts Ike the pendulum in reg
| rating the movements OF the clock.
| No intelligent person would regulate
the pendulum 10y driving in pegs on
either SHE II prevent motion in thai
| direction. Yet il is such crude and
| mechanical methods that our work
| iugmen's leagues, for Instance, would
adopt, by putting up bars of legal
enactmeuts sgainst the Incoming of
Asiatic laboreTs. Better seek the de-
sired end of minimizing the evils of
an alien labuTine proletaTiat class by
indirect methods, guided by intelii-
gent investigation aud provision.
shorten the wire OF the pendulum or
| lengthen il. Make q compensation
pendulum, on which liability to err in
| one direction i met by the introduce
ton OF a cOunteracting force.
Ii is undoubtedly true tina: special
legislation, making the water supply,
or the electric lighting, or the carry
ing Of parcels by express TIL exclusive
franchise of quasi public corporation
opeit> the door tor many Ques' iouable
methods, occasionally great public
>-audal But there i 80 doubt that
such mOuupOlieS, inviting The aic OF
private capital and guar nteeing it
against the risks Of general cJmp=ti-
ton, have been Of immense UeneEt 10
the community. Special legislation
gives special privileges to infant i'll
dustriss, like coffee planting on these
islands or 10 our sugar planters, " hose
| branch OF industry i the main de-
| peudeuee OF this country in securing
the advantages of foreign commerce,
| with its profitable Interchange OF diff
fereat commodities. Ii We're foolish
| ness in the extreme to kill of such
enterprises by unfavorable legisl alton,
such IS many political agitatOrs are
| dvOcatinC-prufessing 10 act in the
| Interests Of the labOring classes; really
against them. Better bring some in
tellig-nce TO rear upon the settlement
OF such questions. Shorten the peudu-
lum. Annexation to tue United States
will have Of itself a wonderful infiu-
euce in modifying the interests and
methods Of governmental administra-
ton.
| 1t Is very easy to join the big crowd
aud cry out for mob law under the
clamor that the majority should rule.
But the history Of the world shows
that true progress has not been made
bv eommuues and mobOcracy, but by
/ the cs I'M. resOluta, fOrceful purpose Of
I
titic knowledge enough TO make your
legislation work on the principle of the
! compensation pendulum. That en-
| phasizes the need o. such general in
! teIIigence SIS can be reached only by
fostering all wise and efficient meth
DDS Of public instruction. Do not
choke of struggling schools by with
| holding legitimate aid from the pub
lie purse. Discriminate among the
competing claims for government as
! sistance. Give government support
/ TO public schools, but do not withhold
government aid by special legislation
that will help certain institutions OF
! learning to do a work for the public
welfare that government cannot, from
the very limitation Of its origin and
| object. rightfully, or wisely, or sue
| cessfully undertake. Is it asking too
much of our Legislators to ask that
/ they shall exercise such careful, III
/ tellIgent, apprecistive Discrimination?
A similar fundamental principle of
good government should show that
| some compensatory measures In legls
| lation are far more efficient ami APP
prOpFiate than ruthless aud reckless
| opposition and demolition. In
| dou6leily, special legislation has
given accumulation of wealth some
unfair advantages. There is some
| thing wrong somehow in state of So
cIety, g. in New Y rk for instance,
whr re recent investigation shows that
| IS ger cent Of the families hold only
one eighth of the total valuation of
property, while / per cent holds as
much wealth as the remaining 90 per
cent
The wise remedy for such state of
things is not, however, legislation to
prevent accumulation Of wealth, but
legislation 10 secure its better distri-
button. In this line are the recent
euaelments of 3 graduated income
tax, and for tax on iBheritaDces as
wealth is passed on to new owners.
Tr q t.iec. of speCiaI LEGISLATION to