The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-05-15
THE CONSTITUTION AND THE FRAN
CHISE.

presents mOTe UllllCullleS lndu lEt
problem of the franchise. It is a
question upon which there are as
many opinions as there are human
being to entertain them. To fix the
voting power in such a way as to
avoid the complications arising
from the completely of our popu-
lation, and at the same time to 60
ample justice to all, is far from an
easy task.
Without presuming to offer a
complete scheme on the subject,
We will content ourselves with a
few general suggestions. In the
first place, no educational or pro-
perty qualification should be
adopted which would exclude the
great mass of the native Hawaiians
from the suffrage. The Hawaiians
are the earliest occupants of the
soil, and their rights and interests
should be fully guarded. For the
lower house-if the division into
two houses is made-the franchise
should be substantially liberal, as
in the Constitution of 1887. Every
Hawaiian who can read and write
his own language should have
| vote.
The necessity of an intelligence
and property qualification for a
part of the representatives is some
thing which the whole course of
Hawaiian history has demonstrate
ed, and there is no occasion for
re-argument. Government by the
ignorant is the disease and not the
principle Of democracy, and the
persons who think that the only
just way to apportion political
power is upon count of noses, do
not understand the nature of insti-
buttons. The political ideal is,
the rule of intelligence and
virtue, to be secured in the manner
which will give the individual the
widest scope for activity and self
development. An intelligence
qualification and property quail
fication which practically works as
an intelligence qualification, are
perfectly in harmony with the in
situations of a democratic and free
society; and such limitations to
the vote should be adopted in Ha-
wall for electors to the upper house |
not for the lower, because it is
neither just nor expedient to create
a large disfranchised class.
There is nothing, however, more
difficult in connection with the |
franchise than the question of the |
status of aliens. Political theory
denies them any share in the gov
eminent. Facts, however, are
stubborn things, and in this case
they have been too strong for
theory. The peculiar conditions
here have made it necessary to
permit those residents to vote who
have a permanent stake in the
country, who not only share the
bNden of taxation, but also do the
duties of the citizen, and who in
all save a single formal particular,
are fully identified with Hawaii.
These men are unwilling, whether
from sentimental or practical con-
siderations, to ALLEVIATE their citi-
zenship. This country cannot spare
them, and stretches the bounds
of ordinary international law III
order to secure their full service
and support. We believe that it
will be found wisest in the new
constitution, to extend to these
men, in some form or another, the
benefit of this exception.
Perhaps as feasible way as any
out Of all these various difficulties
would be to draw the citizenship
line in the lower house, making
however an exception in favor of
those aliens who registered for
the late election. For the upper
house, the ballot might be given