The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-05-08
CORRESPONDENCE.
Hard Work for the Constitutional
Convention.


tuition having been called, and the
call having been responded to by
the people by their electing dele.
gates, to whom they have deputed
the power to frame a convention
the question arises, what is the ex,
tent of the powers beyond the mere
framing of constitution deputed
to this assemblyof delegates?
Had the call for the election
specified any requisites further
than that of drawing up a consti-
tuition, the people, by their assent
ing to the call, would have con-
ferred on their deputies the power
to have, given up for them some of
their natural rights. AS it is 1
cannot see how the constitution to
be framed can become the funda-
mental law of the land without
submission of it as drafted to the
electors for their approval. 1t is
possible that the first legislature to
be elected under the drafted con-
stitution may come from the peo-
pie empowered to adopt the consti-
tuition, but this appears decidedly
irregular.
In the formation of the consti-
tuition one of the prime matters
for consideration is the suffrage,
and we cannot but note the trend
of affairs in England and other
European countries toward grant
ing the suffrage to all who are pos
sibly capable of understanding the
value of it. l think the suffrage
in Hawaii nei should be as liberal |
as possible, for instance, that all |
who can read and write Hawaiian
or some European language, ex-
cepting Chinese and Japanese,
should be allowed to vote.
The President should be elected |
by the legislature, and the term of
office should be six years. The
manner of electing the President
in the United States by an electoral
college is not applicable here, and
much complaint is made against it
there. The necessity of having an
upper and lower house to prevent
hasty and ill.considered legisla-
ton is apparent. The lower house
should be elected by the people at
large, but the upper house should
be elected by selected number of
hose having the suffrage, say hay
ing a high property and educational
qualification. There is considera-
ole agitation in the United States
1t present trending toward the
election of the Senate by the
people direct, in place of as
1t present by the State legis-
atures. But it is observed
hat the Senate has and does
consist of better timber than the
House of Representatives, and it is
argely attributed to the fact of
heir being elected by the repre-
entatives of the people than
trough or by the people direct.
t is impossible for man to get
nto the Senate who has not State
equation. AS to the number who
hould constitute the two houses it
hould be large, and yet not so large
IS to be either unwieldy or an extra
'urden to the taxpayers. The for
ner Legislature was unnecessarily .
arge. An attempt should be made
o reduce the number of paid Off
ials, although, from the nature of
he country in its natural division
nto islands, do not see at present
n what direction the reduction
hould be made. We can easily
ee from the consistency of the |
population and geography of the .
ountry, together with our treaties
nth foreign lands, that the Consti-
1tlonal Convention has not any
icnic; but l feel satisfied that it c
composed of men whom we can
rust to do justice to the work.
JAMES w. GIRvIN. !