The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-05-31

There was no pomp or ceremony
observed in the opening of the Con-
stitutional Convention yesterday.
The hall in the Judiciary building
formerly used as the meeting place
of the Legislature was crowded,
and great interest was taken in the
proceedings. By halfpast 10, the
room was fairly well filled, and at
II o'clock, the time set for the
Convention to meet, there was not
a seat to be had and the doors and
corridors were crowded. .t.
Promptly at II o'clock the MEM
bers of the Convention entered and,
took their seats. After a prayer
by the Rev. III. III. Parker, Presi-
dent Dole gave the following ad-
dress
COUNCILLORS AND DELEGATES, MEM
BERs OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION, 1894:
In calling the Convention to order,
ask your attention to some matters
relating to the work for which you
have come together.
The delay which the project of po-
1itical union between Hawaii and the
United States of America has expert
enced has brought up the question OF
modifying the present provisional sys-
tenn in order to give the Government
a permanent form, and to more fully
introduce the principle of representa-
ton by the people.
The subject has been carefully con-
sidered, both from the standpoint of
the responsibility of the Executive
and Advisory Councils, and that of
cessities of the case; and while such
a change is imperatively demanded
by an Intelligent public sentiment, it
also appears consonant with our situa-
ton, which is naturally favorable to
the growth of free institutions.
This being conceded 1t became nec-
essary to decide whether to reach the
desired result by taking the present
system as basis and building upon
that, or by wholly reorganiziLg the
Government.
Inc IaCtoF In6I1Ou was auODIeU as
giving more freedom of action and a
better opportunity for establishing a
system suited to national conditions.
The question of the composition of
the Convention to be called for MAX
ing a new constitution was perplex
ing one; for while it was desired to
have direct popular representation TO
as great an extent as might be possi-
ble, the Councils felt that they could
no., consistently with the trust i'm
posed upon them by the proclamation
of January 18th, 1898, relInquish to
other hands the whole responsibility
in an enterprise so vital to the future
welfare of the country. 1t was there
fore decided to confide the work TO a
body made up of the Councils and
elected delegates.
| need hardly remind you of the
difficult and delicate character of the |
duty which the Convention is called |
upon to perform. The monarchy, af- |
ter period of decadence which was |
and prejudicial to all pub |
lie and private interests, came to a |
logical end-through its own plot to |
turn back the movement of public |
progress and TO suojugate all national |
energies and aspirations in the inter-
est of despOtism.
portion of the community who Were
in sympathy with the political devel-
0pment of the State as an organiza-
ton, both the right and the duty to
intercept the threatened retrograde {
for no part of nation
which has made progress in civiliza-
lion has a right to drag the other part
back to bdrbarism; and no ruler has
,he right.to initiate such relapse, re-
ying upon the indifference or want of
political sense of portion of the
population. Those who submit with
1ut protest to such a scheme, thereby
confess their inability to accomplish
DR. defend their own civilization, and
surrender the task TO those who are
willing to do it for them.
There il, therefore, in the assump-
ion of power in such crisis by those
who would protect and foster the civil
progress of the State, no violation of